The Unforeseen Storm
by Toasty Kit
Summary: Time and memory…frozen in crystal. A god has fallen to the hands of man and the fate of the world has changed. However not everything goes as the prophecies foretell and a hero is scattered to the winds. Rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or Naruto. If I did I would have made Final Fantasy XIII-2 better than how it is now (Fantastic story and game play but the gimmicks they added to make the game feel more "open" and the lack of character conflict made the game kinda meh). Plus, I'd be absolutely loaded and would be able to take the chance of making crossovers like this story a reality.**

Author's Notes: This is the first chapter of The Unexpected Storm. I hope you enjoy it. P.S don't forget to check out my Bleach x Naruto crossover, Shark Emperor.

Death and destruction were a few words that could describe the once prosperous shinobi village of Konohagakure no Sato (Village Hidden by the Leaves)…or at least what was left of it. The monument of Hokages past that had once stood proudly watching over the village inhabitants was nowhere to be found. Buildings lay completely flattened, reduced to the extent that they barely passed the qualifications to be called rubble. Bodies, civilian and ninja a like, lay scattered over the barren expanse, their last living moments frozen on to their lifeless husks.

A single man stood at the epicenter of the crater. Unruly sun kissed blonde hair sat upon his head, drenched in blood and sweat (much of the prior being his own). His burnt orange and black jumpsuit was torn in various places, exposing lightly tanned flesh underneath. A red, short-sleeved cloak with black flame licking the bottom completed his wardrobe.

He sucked in air laboriously, hands twitching from the sheer adrenaline pumping in his system. He wiped away the grime accumulated on his whiskered cheeks; his piercing cerulean eyes dully scrutinizing the body that lay before him, a throbbing ache pulsating in his heart.

A red and black cloud patterned cloak hid most of the body from sight; tufts of bright orange peeked out of the garments unusually high collar.

"Nagato…" Naruto uttered in a hushed tone.

The leader of Akatsuki had been the harbinger of the great village's annihilation, using his manipulation over gravity itself to level the city to it's very foundation, crushing every building within Konoha's walls and anyone inside them.

And yet, despite all this he still couldn't find it in himself to hate the man.

He felt that during the battle he truly connected with the Rinnegan user. He could see it in his eyes, the justifications for his actions. They told everything in their purple ringlets, of a life stricken by hardships. Hardships that he only wished for people to understand so that it would not be reborn in others.

Spreading pain in order to prevent pain…

A rather counterproductive manner with which to achieve peace but certainly not the most insane one he'd ever heard. Unlikely yes, impossible no, it was pretty hard to say you could understand something if you've never experienced in the first place. It wasn't difficult to see why he thought the way he did.

"Ne? What'cha starin at Whisker-chan?"

The blonde was usurped from his musing when a nasally voice struck his eardrums. A gauntleted hand unceremoniously pulled him from his previous position before he could even decipher the source of sound.

"Oh no! Leader-sama! Oh powerful Leader-sama! How could this have happened?"

A man wearing a cloak not unlike the corpse before his feet appeared to be…crying? It just didn't seem right, almost too over the top to be true.

"You still had so much to do! So much to live for! You were so strong! The next Rikudo Sennin! So powerful! So foolish. #Clearing of the throat# So handsome! So creative! So-"

The Uzumaki had long tuned the strange man's nonsensical blubbering but he didn't miss that slip of the tongue. It was like the growl of a beast hidden amongst the yapping of a million puppies, difficult to catch but even if you tried your hardest not to you still knew it was there.

"Who are you?" Naruto finally asked. An out of place trickle of sweat ran down his temple.

The supposed Akatsuki member franticly scanned the surrounding area, wiping any stray tears from the single opening on his mask. "Who ya talking to Whisker-chan? There's no one here," he said with a slight sniffle, tilting his head while using a gauntlet-covered hand to scratch the outer spirals of his orange mask.

The blonde jinchuuriki would have sweat dropped at the declaration if there wasn't something about the man prevented him from doing so. It was odd getting such an off-putting vibe from someone so physically un-menacing. It just wasn't right.

"Tobi personally thinks Whisker-chan is crazy. But Tobi wouldn't say that cause Tobi is a good boy." He pointed to himself enthusiastically." By the way that's Tobi's name, Tobi."

Now that he thought about it he remembered meeting a man named Tobi during a previous mission to retrieve Sasuke… How could he forget?

Surface wise he wasn't someone associated that could be associated with Akatsuki even on his worst day, the polar opposite of the monsters he'd faced really. It was unfathomable how such a man could gain membership into an organization of S-rank criminals.

But after that little introductory speech he wasn't so sure. That voice he'd caught amongst the squeaking just wasn't something that would come up out of the blue. It couldn't have just been something caught in his throat. It was too refined for that.

His felt an uneasy feeling stew in his gut, it was always right when it came to things like this. And right now it was screaming at him to get away, to keep running until he couldn't run anymore and then some. His body tensed. His eyes dart toward the individual and…

"_That mask..." _

Burnt orange with several lines curving in on the opening of the right eye, giving a hypnotic vortex feeling to it, as if tempting you to gaze into its depths. But other than that there was little else to the faceplate, having no signs of the nostril, the mouth or even the left eye. It was unemotionally inhuman, forcing its wearer to rely on body language to display their expression. It was almost like he didn't have a face…

"_The faceless one is the true conductor of the dawn. A shadow that impersonates the light, do not let the sun break the horizon. For when it does your fate will be sealed."_

Something in Naruto's mind just clicked.

It all made sense now.

This man…this Tobi…was the conductor of the dawn, the true leader of Akatsuki.

He was behind everything. He was the one who stirred panic into the elemental nations, hunting his kin like animals for sport, showing a complete disregard for the lives he ruined in order to get to accomplish his goals.

This man…no…this monster was the one responsible for everything that happened to him.

"Uchiha Madara…" The one who sent the Kyuubi to attack his home and kill his parents.

"Eh? What was that Whisker-chan! I can't hear ya when you mumble like that!"

"Uchiha Madara." The reason behind his loneliness.

"I'm sorry but your gonna have ta speak up?"

"Uchiha Madara!" The one who ruined his life!

Naruto roared with newfound vigor, launching himself at Tobi with a burst of chakra.

"Eh?"

A plume of dust erupted from the force of his blow, obscuring the young sage's vision.

"Oh ho! That could have been really nasty." The ground splintered underneath the blonde's previous strike. "That's kinda funny you made a crater in a- " A flurry of shuriken flew toward the masked man. A gauntleted hand swiftly met the projectiles with blinding efficiency, deflecting every single one without batting an eyelash.

The blonde's retaliated by launching his fist at the Akatsuki. Tobi slid past the blow. The rouge shinobi deflected another strike courtesy of the Uzumaki. Naruto's assaulted the masked man again and again, none of his attacks landing a decisive hit.

"_This is ridiculous!" _Naruto mentally seethed.

The, supposed, co-founder of Konoha danced through his barrage with little effort. Beads of exertion ran down his features in buckets. The effects of the last fight were really starting to take its toll on him, his legendary stamina being pushed to its very limits.

A swirling ball of pure chakra materialized in his palm. He reared back before thrusting his technique into the abdomen of his foe.

"Rasengan!"(Spiraling Sphere)

The blonde's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Instead of grinding into the flesh of his enemy, like he expected, the chakra orb merely passed through him as if he were a ghost.

In his rage, he failed to remember one important fact about his previous fight with Tobi…

"Are you finished?" The commas pinwheel eye rotated in their red iris, peering into the blonde's flabbergasted expression, his voice no longer carrying its child like mirth. The blue sphere dissipated within the ethereal form of Uchiha Madara. The elderly man was silent, as if waiting for his counterpart to answer.

"Since you don't seem to feel like talking right now I guess I'll have to speak for you."

…He never actually hit him.

A flash of black was all the Uzumaki saw before he felt a debilitating strike crashed into his side, sending him flying. Naruto formed his trademark crossed hand seal summoning a clone to right himself in midair. Unfortunately, Madara would not allow the blonde the luxury to do so.

The doppelganger was forcibly dismissed as soon as it came into existence. An orange mask burst through the plume of smoke fallowed by an armor-clad fist. The appendage shot forward into the face of the defenseless jinchuuriki. The Uchiha twisted his body, fallowing up with a devastating backhand, stimulating the blonde's descent. He twisted once more, using the momentum of his previous attack to increase the power of his next blow. He lashed with a bone crushing kick to his opponents back, sending him crashing into the ground face first.

The Akatsuki member flashed to the crater that created from his foe's impact, finding the shinobi lying face down at its center. The whiskered ninja laid unnaturally still. Madara stepped into the depression before latching on to the sage's blonde locks. He lifted the Uzumaki by his hair to expose his visage, find a bleeding and bruised face grinning at him.

"Interesting…you find joy in abuse…what a complementary persona for a jinchuuriki. "

"…"

"Are you so shocked by the gape in our power that you're speechless?" Tobi tightened his hold on his victim. Rearing his hand back for another punch.

Naruto only had one thing to say to that, "…Boom."

The elderly Uchiha's lone eye widened at the declaration before being consumed in a fiery shockwave.

The red-cloaked teen peaked from over the edge of a pile of rubble, not believing that his opponent would go down so easily for even a second.

"Points for creativity."

He looked up to find a pristine Uchiha sitting comfortably on the debris left behind from the destruction.

"You would have had me…if it were possible to bring me harm, that is."

Naruto back flipped to put some distance between himself and immortal leader of Akatsuki. He rummaged through his shinobi pouch pulling out a yellow scroll while simultaneously creating a small platoon of Kage Bushin (shadow clone) behind him.

He unfurled the scroll, making a hand sign to release its contents with a "poof" of smoke. In the aftermath of the plume lay a huge mound of kunai. The clone crushed to the pile, grabbing as many as they could carry. Madara looked on attempting to decipher what he could be planning, more from curiosity than anything else.

The copies clustered around the blonde with their respective kunai in their hands. "Fuuton: Kunai no ame!"(Wind release: kunai rain). With that being said the mass of clones unleashed an unending payload of wind coated throwing knives at blinding speed with out much focus, a technique that would be of great use against a large number of enemies, but rather inappropriate for the current conditions. By the time the assault came to an end the battlefield resembled a flowerbed of metal.

"Is that it?" Madara asked dully, unmoving from his previous location, not a single blemish marred his features. "Is that all you have?"

"Not by a long shot!" The toad sage raced toward the Akatsuki at frightening speeds with a white orb of chakra in his grasp.

"Talk is cheap." The rouge ninja droned while making a quick set of hand signs. He brought his hand up to his mask, bellowing out a white-hot fireball the size of a house, the stream of evaporated particles trailing in its wake.

He wasn't too concerned with the well being of the teenager. He knew that the Kyuubi wouldn't allow its host to die. Plus, all he really needed was a pulse for the sealing jutsu to remain valid; otherwise the jinchuuriki could be a head and a torso for all he cared.

The wall of fire was mere inches from incinerating the Uzumaki when something unexpected happened.

Just as the flames were about to make contact the blonde disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

"_What! How can this be?"_

The shadow master behind Akatsuki's eye widened in disbelief, not a moment later a burst of yellow spawned at his feet. There was simply no time to initiate his Jikukan Ido (Space-Time Migration).

"Fuuton: Rasengan!"(Wind release: Spiraling sphere)

The condensed sphere of wind tore into the Uchiha's abdomen, shredding the signature Akatsuki cloak. The masked man spiraled into an unassuming mound of debris.

Madara groaned. Blood fell from the spiral pattern gouged into his stomach like an uncontrollable hose. It'd been so long since he'd last been injured to this extent; he was beginning to forget what the sensation felt like. Today was a horrible reminder of his vulnerability.

"…How?"

"…How is it possible?" The Sharingan user torn himself out of the rumble, his body shaking from the feeling of torn muscle tissue in his stomach.

"How do you know the Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God)!"

Naruto remained silent, preferring to answer by disappearing in another flash. A punch rapped across his chest fallowed by a burst of light, he wasn't even able to see the orange loving ninja before he retreated.

"Impudent… #SMACK#"

"Little… #WACK#"

"Bastard! #CRACK#" The strike caused the century old ninja to stare at the ground for the first time. Upon further inspection he was able to make out the dreaded three-pronged kunai scattered amongst the others. The sneaky runt must have slipped them into the payload of the deceptively 'wasteful' rain of throwing knives.

"_This blasted jutsu has bested me before but it will not best me again."_

Naruto locked eyes with his enemy, sweat bled down his face in buckets. Each jump took more out of him each time. He probably had enough chakra for two more jumps before he was spent. He had to end this now. He disappeared in the jutsu's notorious yellow glow.

Madara smile beneath his mask when he saw the boy slip from his sight, that brief moment of stillness was all he needed to formulate a plan. He wasted no time launching a fireball at his feet; sending every kunai within fifty feet of the blast flying.

The whiskered jinchuuriki reappeared, his eyes widened at the unexpected trajectory of his jump. However he didn't have time to dwell on the matter.

The air warped above him, a familiar orange mask bursting forth. The Uchiha was upon him the moment he wretched himself from the void, employing one of his many skills that brought his traitorous clan to prominence.

A stream of blue fire crashed down into the blonde. The force of the jutsu launching him into one of the few structures that somewhat still resembled what it once was prior. The sheer heat of the technique reduced the structure into nothing but piles of ash and chipping glass.

Naruto panted heavily, his form miraculously still intact. His yellow horizontal eyes faded back to their usual deep blue.

"_Thank Kami for Sage-mode." _The blonde thought as he felt the nature chakra slip away from his system. One of his clones was just barely able to scrounge up the bare minimum require to initiate the technique before he was hit, but it still wasn't enough to stop the more serious burns on his form, his own resident bijuu was to thank for that…not that he'd give the furry bastard the pleasure of hearing that.

A familiar shimmer in the air shook him from his musing. Before the sage could even struggle to rise, Uchiha Madara hovered over him with palm reared back to strike. His off hand blurred in a sequence of one-handed seals. His hand erupted in a film of black flames.

#BOOM#

The chakra encased blow struck with unmarking force, the only signs of it actually doing any significant damage being the sudden expulsion of the surrounding ashes. Naruto screamed in bloody murder when an unexpected coating of electricity encased his form.

"Your surprisingly skilled for someone so young." An iron clamp surrounded his windpipe, making it extremely difficult to breath. "But you have something of mine…" The leader of Akatsuki brought the jinchuuriki to meet his gaze. "And I want it back…" His Sharingan flashed in a brighter red than usual, its three commas spinning wildly.

Naruto's cerulean eyes widened, a sinking feeling surrounded him, as if thousands of hands were rising from his nightmares to pull him into the blackness.

"_I only have one last shot at this, better make it count_…" He looked down to see his body steadily fading into transparency. He felt the pull of one the kunai he left on his way to the village. He grimaced at the thought; he was never one to run from a fight. But he was having a hard time feeling his legs…now was not the time to let his pride get in the way.

The slipped out of the Uchiha's hand in a flash of a translucent multi colored burst of energy.

-Scene Change: Mount Myoboku-

Two massive toads bigger than a Kage's office building watched the sired events with looks of bewilderment on their amphibious mugs. The orange, younger looking, with bandages wrapping his torso was the first to voice his confusion. "What the hell did the brat just do? I've never seen a Hiraishin that looked like that!" He bellowed through his pipe.

The much older looking, but equally as enormous, tan colored toad held his piece. He seemed to be in deep thought. "This is very troubling…"

"What is Great Toad Sage?"

"Hmmm…Uzumaki-chan looks to have disappeared…"

Gamabunta sweat dropped, " Yes Ojiji-sama, we established that already…"

The elder toad stared at his counterpart with his squinting old eyes, "Who are you again?"

"Focus you senile old geezer!" The orange to bellowed out, completely forgoing formalities.

"Hmmm…it would appear that Uzumaki-chan has disappeared completely…"

The toad boss brought a webbed hand to his temples, "Yes…you already said that…"

"Completely gone…" He let out an exasperating breath. "Completely and utterly gone…" Gamabunta tuned out the older to, taking his words as more of his senseless rambling, not realizing the actual weight they bared.

-Location: Unknown-

There was blackness.

Nothing but ink for as far as he could see. He knew this, even though he physically could not open his eyes. He simply knew that that was what lay before him.

He could hear the voices…singing…in unison like the chorus in a gothic cathedral.

Their soft, whispering quire…echoed throughout the space.

"Where am I?" He finally summed the nerve to ask.

The voices paid him no heed…as if he weren't there to listen to their homily.

It irked him…he never liked being ignored. " I'm right here you know." He felt like he was wading miles underneath the wave, floating in a black abyss. "Where ever here is?"

The signature 'gong' of medieval church bells rang through his body. The sound began to peak his curiosity.

Blackness…

He wasn't so sure anymore…

The voices…

Why were they ignoring him?

#GONG#

What is that noise?

Blackness…

"Where am I?" His words resonated with the blaring of the church bells, trailing through the chorus of the emptiness like a song in the wind, repeating itself over and over before fading off into the distance.

#GONG# …#GONG# …#GONG#…# GONG#…# GONG# …#GONG#

-Jutsu Mechanics-

Rasengan: A super condensed ball of chakra that grinds into any surface it comes into contact with. The power of the Rasengan relies on a combination of the amount of chakra pumped into the jutsu in conjunction with the spiraling nature of the energy that gives it its name. A shell of chakra keeps the technique stable as well as giving it its spherical shape. The three factors of the jutsu can be tweaked in order to create variations of the technique such as Oomada Rasengan and Fuuton: Rasenshuriken.

Jikukan Ido: A jutsu powered by the Sharingan that allows the user to teleport objects to and from a parallel dimension where time and space to not fallow human jurisdiction. By entering this dimension the caster can travel great distances with minimal time passing between exit and entry. This technique can also provide a temporary state of intangibility by teleporting specific body parts into the dimension, causing the user to be impervious to harm.

Hiraishin: A technique that folds the very fabrics of space and time between the user and a beacon, doing so causes the wielder to vanish in a flash of yellow light and seemingly teleport to other areas at will. A precise level of chakra control is required to perform the jutsu. The inner workings of the jutsu make practicing with it potentially hazardous because of the lack of understanding of what may happen if inadequate preparations were made.

Authors Notes: I know that some specifics of the jutsus may be incorrect according to cannon but this is how they function in my story. Please review.


	2. Awakening

**Disclaimer: What the other chapter said.**

**Authors Notes: I got nothing sooo…**

**On with the story!**

**-**Unknown Area-

Uzumaki Naruto awoke to darkness he almost went into a panicked but internally laughed at himself when he realized that his eyes were still closed. He could feel the warm comfort of blankets draped over his frame.

"_I'm…in a bed?"_

He was about to open his eyes when the sound of hushed voices peaked his interest, deciding against it in hopes of finding out where he was. His ears twitched, his shinobi trained hearing able to clearly grasp their discussion.

"What you're saying is crazy talk." A feminine voice quietly lashed out.

"Crazy talk? Look at the facts Lebreau." The budding voice of adolescent boy rang out with equal subtlety.

"Facts? There are no facts." The newly identified Lebreau huffed out in annoyance.

" Come on, are you kidding me? Just look at the guy." Naruto visualized the teen pointing in his direction. "Doesn't he look a little strange to you?"

"Yeah, so what? Cocoon is filled with people of all sorts of shapes and sizes. That doesn't prove anything."

"_Cocoon?" _Naruto would have scratched his head in bewilderment if it didn't mean blowing his farce. He'd heard of and been to places of all over the elemental nations yet not in all his years had he heard of such a place even in passing. He continued to ease drop, intent on finding out more about his current predicament.

"It proves everything." He heard the sound of hands coming down on a solid surface a table or desk if he had to guess. "Whisker marks and bright blonde hair just aren't normal."

"Your one to talk Yuj. Your hair looks more like a used paint brush." The blonde was barely able to suppress a snicker at the declaration. He could just image in the look on Yuj's face.

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"Why don't you just drop it?"

"Because I can't sleep at night with a potential killer sleeping under our roof!"

The Uzumaki cringed at the comment. His voice sounded too much like the villagers when he was younger. He wondered what could he have done to peak such animosity.

The tell tale "creak" of a door announced the arrival of another person. "Whoa, whoa, whoa what is with all the hostility people?" His voice was strong, inspirational even. If he had to guess who the leader was he'd have to place his bets on the newcomer. " All this shouting is gonna wake our guest."

Yuj scoffed at the emphasis on the word 'guest'.

"Speaking of which, look who decided to rejoin the land of the living?" The female of the group pointed out.

Naruto sluggishly rose from the confines of the blankets with mock fatigue. His eyes dazedly scanned the rooms interior for the first time, its red walls and metallic purple furniture gave it a much more modern look. He looked over to the closets sliding door, its reflective surface doubling as a mirror. He met his heavily bandaged image with a sense of familiarity; it wasn't the first time he'd looked like a mummy. He disengaged from his image to finally get a good look at his hosts.

The female of the group, who he amused to be Lebreau, wore her jet-black locks in a sloppy bun held back by a clip. A slightly ruffled long sleeved white blouse and black hot pants covered her slim form.

The shorter of the two males, Yuj, had long, shoulder length teal hair that covered one of his eyes. He was dressed in crimson red long sleeved shirt and black form fitting pants, a scowl never leaving his expression as he sized up the blonde.

The third and final member was tall and well built for his age. Tufts of long platinum blonde hair peaked out of his black bandana. His muscled form was clad in a plain white shirt and loose black pants. An infectious grinned seemed burned on to his features.

"Eh, where am I?" Naruto finally asked genuinely.

"A little peace of heaven on Earth, most beautiful city in Cocoon." The muscled teen stated off handedly.

"_That doesn't really help me out too much…"_

"You must've been pretty out of it to not know you were headed, Bodhum is practically tourist bait during the festival." She elaborated to their mummified guest. "Then again we did find you half dead in the ocean, had to have old Snow over here haul you out." She pointed a thumb at the blondes towering form." I'm actually surprised you're up so soon, most people would have been out for weeks with the injuries you had."

Yuj made a murmured under his breath, something about him not being a person; the comment earned him a jab from his feminine counterpart.

"Oh were are my manners I completely forgot to introduce myself, Lebreau pleasure to meet you."

"Snow Villiers. Hope my cloths fit fine."

The blonde jinchuuriki looked down his attire, finding that they were indeed identical to the teen's own.

Lebreau elbowed the teal haired teen once more. He grimaced as if he stomached something unappetizing. "Yuj."

"Uzumaki Naruto. Thanks for helping me out!" He grinned idiotically.

"Weird name. Uzumaki sounds like it should be your surname." Snow pointed out.

"It is my surname."

"Well then why'd you say it as if it were your first name?"

"Why would I say my name backwards? That just wouldn't make sense."

"That's just how I was taught to say it I guess."

"Never heard of a city on Cocoon that teaches their kids to talk like that." The black haired girl commented.

"_There's that word again."_

"Um I know this may sound stupid but…" He paused as if unsure about what he was about to say. "Where is Cocoon?"

Yuj scoffed, " How do you not know where Cocoon is, your standing on it?"

"Technically I'm sitting so…"

"You know what I meant!" The teal haired teen snapped back much to the whiskered boy's pleasure.

"Do you know anything about society at all?" Lebreau asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not really…I was raised in a forest." Naruto took what he just said into consideration. It wasn't the exact truth but wasn't exactly false either; Konoha was literally a village smack dab in the middle of a forest. He thought about simply asking them about his home and how far it was from here but after that little spat about the names he wasn't so sure they'd even have the slightest clue what he was talking about.

"So you're a hermit then?" Snow asked.

"Something like that..."

"So you've never been in the city before?" Lebreau stated, receiving a nod from the spiky haired teen. Again it wasn't the full truth but he had to roll with it somehow. "You'll be spending A-lot of time in the library once your good to go then." She enunciated with a sly smile. "Can't have you causing any "international" incidents."

"PSICOM would have a hay day with someone like you." The bandana wearing teen gave a cheesy grin. "Would probably rustle you in with some Pulse mumbo jumbo."

"Yeah…Pulse mumbo jumbo." The Teal haired teen added coldly.

Naruto had long since tuned out the other occupants in the room. The bandages were just so damn itchy. He fiddled with his bindings; the burning was becoming a real annoyance. A gloved hand latched on to his wrist, preventing him from relieving the overbearing tingling that crawled up his concealed skin. He looked up to meet Snow's gaze.

"Trust me I know how uncomfortable those can be but for now lets not get too hasty."

"I just patched you up yesterday." The blouse clad woman grinned at him. "And I don't really feel like going through that hassle again if I can help it."

A loud grumble broke the silence. The injured teen grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head out of sheer habit.

"Looks like somebody's hungry." Lebreau smiled, he blushed at her discovery. "I know just the thing for that." She walked out of the room to aid the famished teen.

"Don't do anything while I'm gone now." Her voice sounding a lot like how he'd imagine a mother would scold their child, not that he'd knowing thing about that.

"Yeah I better head out too. Don't wanna be late for work." The hulking teen finally released his grip from the young sage, fallowing his companion's example, exiting the premises. "You take it easy, alright," he heard him call, "don't want you dying on me after we just met."

The charismatic blonde's foot falls faded into silence and Naruto was, once again, tugging at his wrappings. The feeling of eyes boring into him caused the whiskered teen to look up at the only remaining member of the group.

His glare was unrelentingly unnerving. A look that just screamed blind loathing, cold and calculating. His body seeped tension, saturating the surrounding air like dye in water.

"Can I help you?" The young sage questioned with a smile. It didn't bother him. The oddly pigmented boy could be after his blood and it still wouldn't affect him much, his childhood had done an adequate job of desensitization. Sure the blatant hate surprised him of course but it wasn't going to perturb him in the slightest. He couldn't let the perspective of one person ruin his day.

Yuj responded to the shinobi with a scoff before he to left the area, exiting the room with a "click" of the door.

-Kitchen-

Lebreau hummed a tune as she poured a ladle of her special "Five Star Chicken Soup" into a bowl resting on a tray with various other foodstuffs encompassing the main course. She hefted the overflowing platter of food with little to no effort, making her way to the room of the injured hermit.

"This should definitely hit the spot." Her lips creased into a gentle grin, she was could just imagine joy on his face when she'd bring it in…before he'd dig in like a pig, manners were always shot to hell when there was hunger involved, even if they were stuck up to high heaven.

Her pace slowed when the thought of her impromptu houseguest reached her mind. His cloths and complexion didn't match anything she'd seen before hand and the state they'd found him in left his nature-boy proclamation less solvent than she felt comfortable with. There was just too many unanswered questions and too much space for her imagination to wander.

"Yuj's crazy conspiracy theory is seeming more believable by the minute." She let those words hang in the air before crossing the idea off her growing list of speculations, _"PSICOM would have caught wind of something like that in a heartbeat, maintaining the "peace" is what they were trained to do after all."_

She was so absorbed in her musing that she failed to acknowledge just how close to her destination she was. The front of her tray bumped into the door causing her to stumble around, comically swaying from left to right like a circus performer to prevent any of the food from falling. After some time she was able to finally regain her balance with no casualties. She released a sigh of relief before turning to push open the door with her shoulder.

"Hope you like-" Her voice died in her throat, "-soup"

A bundle of bandages and an open window were the only signs that there had been someone facilitating the area. Lebreau rushed to the window for any clues to where the blonde may have gone but blankets of rain obscured her vision. There was no way she'd be able to find him in this weather.

-Bodhum Streets-

Naruto roamed the streets of the city with wide eyes shining in wonder. The urban expanse completely took his breath away. Never in his entire life had he seen buildings so tall, the Hokage tower couldn't hold a candle to these juggernauts of architecture.

Herds of bodies rushed by in droves, huddling together in groups under the shadow of the monumental structures to shelter themselves from the harsh downpour that strangled the city in its watery grasp. People stared at him as if he were mad standing out in the middle of the rain; it was almost like he wanted to get a cold. The blonde Uzumaki paid them no heed; he simply could not wrap his mind around his surroundings, it was too surreal to be true.

A faint hum reached his ears. He looked up to see constructs of metal zooming through the air space with billowing streams of green light passing by. His mouth gapped at the sight, it was like new things were just jumping out at every turn. He spun around to fully marvel at all that lay before him.

"How am I going to find one building in all this?" His attention turned to the masses of people going about their daily lives with automated focus, many of which didn't even seem to know what was around them at all. The whiskered teen single out a person from the entity, a young looking woman with silver hair that just barely draped over her ears wearing a yellow poncho to protect against the rain. A boy that couldn't be older than nine fallowed her in toe, his tiny hand connected to his mother's, he too wore a yellow poncho. "Excuse me," he called to her. She turned toward him with a warming smile, completely disregarding his present state of dress, "Yes, is there something you need?"

He was almost taken aback by her hospitality, he could never get used to people being nice to him for no reason. It took him longer than he would have liked to continue, "Um…would you happen to know where the city library is?"

He expected her to scoff at his ignorance but she instead just revitalized her smile, "New to Bodhum I'm guessing?" He nodded in response; scratching the back of his head at how easily he'd been found out. "I figured as much. You just have that clueless look on your face. Its pretty easy to get lost in such a big place." She looked around to asses her surroundings before giving him a sheepish grin. "Sorry to say this but I have not idea. Me and little Hope," She pointed to the silver haired boy silently standing by his mother's side, "aren't from around here our selves to tell you the truth."

"Oh…well then I'm sorry for wasting your time." He almost turned to leave but stopped himself when he heard her speak again.

"But...I do know of way for you to find out."

He spun around faster than the words that left his mouth, "Really? How?"

She giggled at his flamboyant reaction, "There are directories stationed around the city for visitors like you and me." She directed him to a rectangular box jutting out of the wall across the road. "They should have everything you need to get to where you wanna go."

He bowed to her in a very un-Uzumaki-like manner, "Thank you for the help Ms…. -"

"Estheim. Nora Estheim." She held out her hand. "And you are?"

"Uzu-" He recalled Snow's reaction to what he said earlier that day. He accepted her handshake, "Naruto Uzumaki."

"Well it was a pleasure Naruto. If you ever find yourself in Palumpolum feel free to stop by." The silver haired woman offered in passing before slipping back into the flow of the city.

Naruto smiled at her unconditional kindness, it was refreshing. He eagerly made his way across the water soaked road to the object that the woman had directed him to, glad to finally have some clue as to what's going on.

He halted himself midway, just barely missing being hit by a speeding vehicle, it's odd shape filled to the brim with people as it glided down the street. He didn't think he was ever going to get used to that.

He looked at the directory peculiarly. It looked a lot bigger from a distance, not being much larger than a shoebox now that he finally had a good look at it. It shined a metallic silver that glistened, even in the shadow of the rainstorm, with a glowing blue button at its center. But that was it, no maps, no brochures, no handbooks, no nothing.

"_Was she lying to me?"_ He expression became downcast, matching the current weather patterns, a feeling of betrayal swelled within him. He knew her character was too good to be true. She was probably just another person who just wanted to get rid of him. He wouldn't have doubted if she actually knew where the library was. _"Must've not felt like explaining it to some foreigner." _He sighed heavily, running a hand through his drenched locks. His eyes drifted to the rectangular structure with empathy, it probably wasn't even a directory if this was all it had to provide for assisting traveler.

"_Could be a condom dispenser for all I know."_ He sighed once more, fully aware of how likely that actually was in practice, they were much more common than people would actually think. He spied the blue button, its glow pulsating in the shadow of the buildings.

"Might as well find out what this does." He said aloud to on one in particular, lazily placing his hand on the only functional mechanism of the contraption.

He looked away to further observer the scenery, he wasn't expecting much from the machine, much less for it to actually work. Needless to say he nearly jumped out of his skin when a transparent screen of blue came to life over what he assumed, moments ago, to be a piece of junk. The hologram hummed to life, taking a couple seconds to load anything on it's hovering surface. The blue dissipated, giving way to a bird's eye view of the city, a red dot sat near its borders representing what he suspected as his current location.

He gazed intently, attempting to decipher the inner workings of the digitized map._" With everything I've seen today I should probably be expecting stuff like this."_ He passed an uncertain hand through the hologram. The appendage seamlessly passed through the panel of light as if it weren't even there. He swiped the hand across the map, watching in fascination as it restructured itself instantaneously. Naruto passed his hand through again and again, finding a child like joy from the simple action.

"_This thing is awesome!" _Nothing was going to ruin his mood now.

The blonde shivered as an odd tingling sensation spurred in the back of his mind, taking away from his joyful experimentation. He looked around to investigate the cause of his unease to find a group of school kids using an identical device staring at him quizzically, his hand still partially through the hologram.

The whiskered teen slowly retracted his appendage from the device; there gazes never leaving his person. He coughed in hopes of dispelling some of the awkwardness in the air, turning back to the map to appear as if he had been examining it the entire time.

-Fifteen Minutes Later-

A tick mark was developing on the back of the Uzumaki's head; he could not find the library on the map if it were highlighted bright orange. He simply could not focus. The view of Bodhum just had so many buildings that it made it difficult to zero in on one, it didn't help if they were labeled when there were so many clustered together.

The rain wasn't helping either. Droplets of water, every so often, would slip past the barrier of the surrounding structures and fall on to the hologram, disrupting the image for a split second. A split second where he could completely lose his place.

But neither of these necessarily impeded his search. It was always easy for him to pick apart key things in cartography and losing his place didn't really mean much when he had no idea where his location was to begin with. No, the real reason was…

"Don't you guys have anything better to do?"

The group of children turned to each other wordlessly before turning back to him with blank eyes. They shook their heads in unison, earning a grunt of annoyance out of the blonde.

-Bodhum Library-

Lightning Farron; age fifteen, diligently typed on her computer with industrialized efficiency, organizing the week's checked out, returned or passed due books for her air head of a librarian.

Her boss was somewhat of a tragic individual, a scholar at heart, innovative with everything she did, a literary genius, graduating two years before her class and quite attractive to boot. But despite her reliability on things of that nature she was also clumsy, easily distracted, spontaneously energetic, and was so disorganized that it would put even the messiest teenage boys to shame, it was a miracle how well Bodhum's library functioned before she was hired.

The ring of automated doors pulled her from her work. A blonde haired boy with distinctive markings on his face strolled into the library. His white shirt and black pants clung to him like a second skin, revealing a well-sculpted abdomen underneath his practically transparent shirt. It would have been hard not to stare for someone of her age, if she acted her age that is.

His cerulean eyes twinkled in astonishment. The very sight of the walls of literature seemed to take his breath away. However, she couldn't for the death of herself see why. Bodhum's library was average, neither too big nor too small. It was by no means anything spectacular.

"Tch. _Probably hasn't seen so many books before." _She assumed right off the bat. After all, people of stable income don't just prance around shoeless without a care in the world. But, then again, it wasn't really her right to judge when it came to that issue.

-Naruto POV-

In truth the young Uzumaki had indeed never seen such a dense concentration of books in his life. Rows upon rows of books of various shapes and sizes coated the walls in a sea of paper. Isles seemed more like mazes bursting to the brim with so much knowledge that he feared that he may get lost in its depths. It was a wonder how people were able to find anything here with out getting sidetracked.

The cry of "Oh my word!" broke his train of thought. A brunet around her mid twenties wearing a lavender button up shirt covered by a black blazer and matching black skirt came rushing up to him with a look of concern on her youthful face.

"Your soaked to the bone," she gasped out. "You poor, poor thing. You must be absolutely miserable!"

Naruto blinked at the woman as if she had grown a second head. She was acting as if he were moments from keeling over. He opened his mouth to reassure the woman that he was perfectly, he'd never been sick a day in his life, but before the he could even conjure the words to say so she already blasted off to another part of the building.

The library stood still for a few seconds; the only sound being the pitter-patter of rain drops hitting the building and the rapid-fire sound of something tapping that he couldn't exactly make out. Before his mind could wonder where she had gone off to the energetic woman was right in front of him once more, completely catching him off guard. _"Holy crap civilians aren't supposed to move like that!" _She pulled out a device out of…somewhere on her person and held it out to him. "Here you go dear this should get you nice and dry."

He took the contraption apprehensively, not exactly sure what to do with it. It resembled a hairdryer but more compact and advanced looking, having the same futuristic sheen as all the other technology he'd seen today.

The woman made the gesture of pushing a button and directing the object to a portion of his body, able to read his blatant confusion like one of the many books on the shelves.

Naruto look at her oddly before turning back to the machine she'd given him, he didn't quiet trust her but fallowed her animated instructions nonetheless. The device hummed to life, expelling a stream of hot air from its nozzle, exactly like the how he'd expected it to.

He directed the glorified blow dryer toward his damp form, looking on as the water disappeared off his skin with record break efficiency. In little to no time at all he was completely dry, as if he'd never been out in the rain to begin with.

"Good! Nice and dry, isn't that better?" The preppy woman smiled enthusiastically at him.

He returned her smile with one of his own," It is, thank you very much Ms…" He blushed at his ignorance. This woman had helped him and still didn't know her name.

"Young man!" Her tone of voice was completely out of place; she didn't look much older than him. "It's customary for you to introduce yourself before asking the same from others. Shouldn't your parents have taught you that by now."

"I'm an orphan." He proclaimed as easily as he would his favorite food.

The woman's bubbly disposition deflated at the declaration. "Oh. I'm so-"

Naruto held up his hand to, stopping her from saying anymore. "Ma'am your concern is appreciated but it's fine. I accepted it long ago." He assured her. He almost had to double take on what he just said. He'd spoken politely for the second time today. He's Uzumaki Naruto. He doesn't do manners. He was the blunt guy, the lovably disrespectfully brat that didn't give a crap about what he said. And yet here he was addressing this complete stranger with more respect in ten minutes than he would people at home in a year. He never cared before so why did he now?

His heart clenched at the thought of is home. He still needed to find out where he was so he could get back. "Excuse me…"

"Ava."

"What?"

"My name. It's Ava. Ava Livingston, librarian at your service." She grinned at him once again behind clenched eyes. "Oh that's right! You must've come here for something. Is there anything specific that you were looking for?"

"Well I was hoping to find a book on the history and geography of Cocoon if you have one."

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." And with that being said raced off to another unseen corner of the library.

Naruto sat down at one of the many tables scattering the area. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. The white walls accented the crimson red flooring quiet nicely and the stained glass dome on the roof made for an interesting display. He could just imagine how it'd look with better weather. It must be surreal.

"Hey! You never did give me your name!" He heard Ava cry out.

"It's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki!" The whiskered teen replied.

"Pleasure meeting you!"

"Likewise!"

"Ya know that's a pretty cool name! Sounds like the star of a TV show or something!"

The blonde chuckled at the thought it was absolutely ridiculous, some one like him having his own show, what a joke. Who would watch something like that? "Never heard that one before!"

"Does it mean anything?"

"Huh!"

"Your name! Does it mean anything? Or did your parents just decide to make up words!

"I'm pretty sure it means maelstrom!"

"Nice! It's got that power to it!"

"Would you two quiet down, this is supposed to be a library." A cold feminine voice announced heatedly. Naruto turned to the source of the voice, spotting the back of a pink haired girl operating a computer in a cubical behind the front desk.

Ava strolled out of one of the isles hefting an extravagantly designed tomb, "Oh don't be such a party pooper. We're the only ones in here anyways."

"Tch," was all the mystery girl had to say to that.

"That's Lightning, my assistant." Ava enunciated, "She's kind of a sour puss but she's not so bad once you get to know her." The librarian turned toward the blonde, who still had yet to say respond. A lecherous grin stretched her lips before she leaned into the blonde's eye, "You can look but I suggest you don't touch lover boy. Light ain't the most friendly person around if you know what I mean."

Naruto blinked, shaking his head, a blanket of pink threatened to shroud his visage. He hadn't even realized he was staring until she brought it up. It didn't even make sense why he was spacing out like that, there wasn't really much for his eyes to work with other than her hair, and even then he was only able to see the back portion.

The Uzumaki cleared his throat, try, and failing, to hide his flustered expression. "Did you find the book I asked for?" He asked lamely.

She placed a decently sized white book with elegantly designed golden borders titled The History of The Two Worlds. "You bet'cha. It may have some Pulse stuff thrown in there but it's the most detailed book we have about Cocoon."

"_Pulse? Didn't Snow and his crew mention something about that?"_ Honestly, the way the three spoke of it made it sound taboo. "Thank you for the help."

"It's no big deal. I am the librarian after all." She waved him off. "Is there be any thing else you need?"

"No this is fine."

"Are you sure?"

Naruto nodded reassuringly.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"No more books?"

"Nope."

"No questions?"

"Not any that I can think of."

"Paper? Pencil?"

"I think I can live with out them."

"Your sure?"

"Yes."

"…"

"…"

Naruto gulped under her silent gaze, it was beginning to get unnerving.

Ava squinted her eyes at him as if to be absolutely sure he was certain. "Not even Light's phone number?"

The whiskered teen blanched at her tone of voice, shaking his head franticly. He wasn't exactly sure what a "phone" was or why it needed numbers but it sounded intimate and he didn't want to give this woman even more than she already had. The suggestiveness lacing her speech patterns was clear enough even for someone as dense as him to pick up on.

Ava burst with laughter, "Ah I'm just messing with ya. Just call me if you need thing though, alright." Naruto simply nodded, opening the book so that he didn't have to meet the librarian's eyes. The 'click' of her heel trailed off into the sound of water falling from the sky and he released a sigh of relief. The woman was nice, the nicest librarian in his whole life by a bar none but her teasing was more than he could bear.

He stole a glance at her pink haired teenage assistant who worked like clockwork from behind her little cubical_. "Lightning…unusual name for a girl."_ It was a rather strange sight now that he came to think about it. She couldn't have been older than him by more than a year yet here she was working like a she'd been doing it for years.

Sure he'd been a full time ninja before he'd hit puberty but this place wasn't anything like Konoha. From the looks of it the closest thing to military personal were those guys with the weird yellow outfits he'd seen on his way here and even then he highly doubted they would hire a minor. A place like this just didn't seem like one where teenage labor was common. But if that was true then why was she here?

He looked down to start reading his book; he couldn't really dwell on such things now. He had a village to get back to. _"Chapter one: The Fal'cie."_

-With Serah-

Twelve year old, Serah Farron ambled into the library, humming a whimsical tune. She was a petite girl around 4'11 with light pink hair styled into a side ponytail. Her features were delicate and innocent, always brandishing an expression of polar opposite to her older sister. She wore a white polo shirt underneath a yellow sweater and along with a blue skirt and black stockings.

Ava popped out of one of the isles with a cart full of books, she smiled at the young Farron, "Oh good afternoon Serah! Here for you sister I see."

Serah smiled back as a greeting of her own, "Good afternoon to you too Ava. You know our schedule far too well."

"Well I was bound to memorize it eventually." The young librarian chirped out, placing a book on one of the shelves.

"I'd be disappointed in you if you didn't." She said with a small giggle.

"I'd be disappointed in myself too." Ava venture further down, her body disappeared behind the shelves, only leaving her head visible to the girl. "You guys are practically here everyday."

"Yeah…everyday." The pinkette sighed out dejectedly. Her sister worked so hard just so they could live a stable life, every gil they had came from her blood, sweat, and tears. At times she would actually have to be ordered to take the day off. It broke her heart to see her this way, always working day in and day out. She even gave up school just so that they could have some extra money on the table.

"Hey there Lightning," she said with a little bit of strain, she never liked calling her that but her sister insisted on it.

Lightning looked back at her younger sibling. Her lips curved upward slightly, barely creating something more than her usual scowl. Serah felt a ping in her chest everything she saw it. It reminded her of before, when her sister was always happy and mom and dad weren't… "I'll be done in an hour. In the mean time you stay put okay."

"Okay…" Serah nodded, sounding much weaker than she would have liked.

She sat down at an unoccupied desk not too far from the checkout station. She opened her the brief case she carried with her for her school supplies. Might as well do some homework to pass the time.

She looked up from her studies and was surprised to find that she wasn't alone. Across from her sat a whiskered teen that seemed completely oblivious to the outside world or too absorbed into his book to care. From the looks of his progress he must have been here for far long than she had, it was a wonder how she hadn't noticed him before.

Serah stared at the blonde for several more moments, returning to her studies when no further development ensued, maintaining her 4.0 was very important to her. Even if she could never repay her sister at least she'd be able to make her proud later on.

-One-Hour Later-

Naruto shut The History of the Two Worlds with dimly set eyes. His body shuttered from the influx of information. His cerulean orbs retreated behind their coverings. He released a sigh, rubbing his temples to rid himself of the impeding headache he knew would come.

He wordlessly rose from his seat like a zombie, not bothering to return the book to its right full spot or call for Ava. He had to think and, ironically enough, couldn't do it in here. The blonde trudged out the automated doors with a far off look in his eye.

He had learned more than he had could have ever hoped. But had earned no fulfillment from what his mind absorbed. His body felt empty, stripped of everything that made it whole.

Rain struck his recently dried body, the weather almost mocking his plight. And after what he'd read it didn't seem as farfetched as it would have a day ago, when his life actually had a course with which it was going. When some random chain of events hadn't derailed him from the track, when his world was predictable.

He almost had to laugh at the thought; ninjas and monotony just weren't two things that were supposed to go together.

He let his mind wander, to revel the things he'd done over the course of his short life. He almost felt like an old war veteran on his last legs, reliving the glory days, and in a way he was. All of his struggles and achievements were meaningless in a world where ninja were little more than pop culture references. A man who lost everything with no way to get it back (or in his case no way to get back.)

He wondered if he should just die. His existence had never spawned anything good and he no longer had a reason for living anyways. His precious people were gone, his village was gone, and he was in a world were people like him shouldn't exist.

A distressed scream wretched him from his sulking, he ran at the source, pushing away the depressing thought, not bothering to think a reason to get involved.

"Help!"

He pushed his legs to go faster, weaving through startled bystanders without care. He had to get to that voice.

He stopped at an alleyway, stumbling upon a scene that made him sick.

A man around his mid-thirties had a girl around twelve years old hoisted up by her neck with a knife pressed to her throat. He violently shook the girl, bellowing at her to shut her mouth. Tears fell from her eyes in droves as she dangled from the man's grasp.

-Serah POV-

Serah choked out silent sobs at her current position.

It was a normal day and everything was going fine.

She'd left the library with the snippet of gil her sister always gave her to wait at the shuttle stop for her sister to finish up like any other day.

But along the way things went horribly wrong. A man had thrown her into an alley, screaming at her to give him her money. At first she'd out right refused, Lightning had trusted her with that money there was no way she'd give it up without a fight.

But she wasn't strong enough; he'd torn the pouch of coins from her grasp as if he were taking candy from a baby. She hoped that after he'd taken the money he would leave her alone, so she could go to her sister to tell what happened. However, the thief seemed delusional, bellowing at her to 'cough up the rest of the gil' that she didn't have.

He'd pulled out a knife, threatened to kill her.

She tried calling for help but the roars of thunder masked her plea.

His knife hand reared back in a stabbing motion.

"_Please…anyone…"_

She shut her eyes, not wishing to see the end.

"Who the hell ar-#SMACK#" She felt the clutches of her captor leave her throat.

The pink haired girl's hands shot to her neck in disbelief as if to test if she was truly alive.

The sound of a struggle caused her crane her head toward the sound.

-Naruto POV-

"_This guy is sooooo slow." _Naruto mentally proclaimed, weaving through the assailant's strikes with utter ease. "Ya know we really don't have to do this #duck#. If you give back the girls money and apologized #duck#, I'll let'cha go."

"Who do you think you are, making demands like that? I'm the one with the knife!" Just as the words left his mouth a fist delivered a rock hard blow to his hand, shattering some of the bones in his fingers and effectively forcing him to drop his only weapon.

A foxy grin threatened to split the whiskered teen face; the thief cradled his injured appendage. "You were saying."

"That was a lucky shot." The man balled his useable hand into a fist, swinging his arm wide in the hopes of hitting the blonde. "Don't get cocky brat!"

"Why are the stupid ones always so persistent? _Wow, I think I just insulted myself._" Naruto realized, paying more attention what he just said than the actual 'fight'. He swiftly redirected the man's blow, knocking his attacker off balance. His off hand flew upwards with a palm thrust to the thief's chin, sending him a whole foot off the ground. The young sage shifted his weight, launching his first in a manner that would make a certain leotard wearing taijutsu master proud. The force of the blow sent the man careening into the nearest dumpster, knocking him out cold. He nonchalantly walked up to the would-be assailant, plucking the stolen coinage from the thief's belt. "I'll be taking that."

He spun round to return the coin purse to its rightful owner when the unexpected happened.

A fair skinned girl around his age sprinted into view with an unopened umbrella clutched in black-gloved hands. Her torso was clad in a denim jacket covering a peach colored shirt; a pair of form fitting tan pants tucked into ankle high red boots covered the lower portion of her form. Her hair was styled in a truly exotic fashion, the pink locks complimenting the right side of her face ended in sharp tips giving contrast to the wavy strands that barely passed her shoulder on her left side.

"Serah!"

"Lightning!" The two Farrons rushed to embrace each other.

"_Lighting?" _Naruto gawked at the news. _"The library assistant?" _Now he wasn't expecting someone with less than stellar looks working behind that desk but he hadn't predicted someone like that either. It'd been a while since he'd seen someone bolstering such a wonderful complexion, if ever.

"You had me worried sick." The eldest of the two siblings loosened her hold to get a better look at her sister. A frown marred her serene expression when she soaked in her sister's disheveled state. She turned to look at the only other occupant of the alley. She disengaged her hold with her shaken sister, taking the time away from comforting her sibling to make her way toward the blonde.

Time seemed to slow down for Naruto with each step she took. She was probably going to thank him for saving her sister; he could just imagine it now.

-Naruto's Imagination-

_Lightning pranced up to Naruto with a sun-reflecting smile on her face. The pink layer that dusted her cheeks progressively intensified as the distance between them became shorter and shorter. As she reached him something on her boots suddenly became incredibly interesting._

_Her index finger came to her puckered lips, "Thank you soooo much for saving my sister Mr. Uzumaki." She aqua blue eyes sparkled back at him._

_He puffed his chest out, speaking with overly exaggerated grandeur, "No thanks are necessary my fair maiden. It's all in a days work for the magnificent Naruto Uzumaki!" The blonde hero gave the classic 'nice guy', his perfectly white teeth twinkling the ,miraculously, sunny day all of a sudden._

_Her hands interlocked over her chest, "But there must to some way for me to repay you. The world's strongest ninja ever can't go un-rewarded for taking the time out of his day to help us."_

"_Oh but what can a beauty such as your self possibly provide me and my gazillions of ryo!" _

_She placed her hand on her chin in a thinking pose. A look of eureka came to her face; "I know how about life time tickets to the universe's biggest infinite bowl of ramen."_

_He looked on with a world-class smile on his face. "That's a splendid idea! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"_

_-End Fantasy-_

"_And it would then I'd swim through the rameny goodness with tons of naked-_#SMACK# ", the young Uzumaki was shaken from his dream world when a blow with enough power to lift him off his feet struck his cheekbone. The taste of copper invaded his mouth.

"What the hell was that for?" He had no idea a civilian could hit that hard, _"I think she broke something with that one."_

"What did you do to my sister?"

"What are you talking about!" He spat out a wad of bloody saliva, "She was like that when I got here. Honest." He held up his hands, in pleaded innocence.

However, his action seemed to have initiated the exact opposite. The pinkette's aqua orbs steeled with rage. She pounced on him with a mighty battle cry, mercilessly hammering away at the unfortunate teen.

"You no good #SMACK#, dirty #CRACK# low life #WACK# thief!"

"What! I didn't steal from anyone!" He was able to get out in between her swings.

She ripped a simple cloth pulse filled to the brim with coins from his grasp, waving it in front of his face as if it were some form of incriminating evidence. "Then what's this then?"

"_Aw shit…_Wait I can explain!"

"And why would I possibly listen to you?"

"I-I I actually hadn't thought that far." He squeaked out sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Wrong answer!"

"Oh please not the-#SMACK#!" Naruto's plead for forgiveness was cut short by another strike to his jaw, if there were any doubts about his injury before then they completely silenced now. _"Dear Kami this girl is worse than Sakura!"_

"Um Lightning…" Serah softly called out. But her voice was lost to the howl of the stormy winds and the 'thuds' of fist against flesh.

"Lightning." She exclaimed louder than before. But, like before, her sister couldn't hear her over the sound of her own justice.

She sighed, beginning to get frustrated with her elder siblings apparent deafness. "LIGHTNING!"

The older Farron wiped around, ceasing her assault for just a moment. "WHAT?"

"You can stop hitting him now."

"And why #WACK# would I do that?"

"Because I'm pretty sure he's unconscious."

Lightning peered downward at the heavily beaten blonde, finding that Serah's observation was indeed correct. "Tch." She not so gently released her grip on her whiskered punching bag. She stood up, ridding herself of any imaginary dust particles that may have gotten on her person, tossing the pouch of money back to it rightful owner.

"Gets go."

Serah was at the unconscious boy's side in a flash, "But we can't just leave him here." She looked up at her older sister with her big blue eyes.

Lightning cringed at the sight as if she were brought physical pain, _"Oh god I hate it when she does. _Give me one good reason we shouldn't leave 'em here to rot."

The younger of the two pinkettes turned her gaze to the dazed Uzumaki; she had the strongest urge to touch his whisker marks but decided against it when in the presence of her sister, "He saved me."

She heard her older sibling scoff at the accusation, "Saved you? By robbing you blind. That's not really something that they'd tell in the story books."

Serah turned her stare back to her sister, "He never stole from me."

"Huh," But he had her gil.

"That guy stole from me," She pointed to an equally oblivious man splayed out in a near by dumpster. Lightning blinked at the unconscious man_, "How did I possibly miss that?_"

"Your so mean Lightning." She pouted, "This isn't how you repay someone your indebt to."

The elder Farron bit her lip; now that she thought about it her previous actions were pretty over the top, she hadn't even fully listened to before enacting her punishment. "Well what do you want me to do?"

"Well…" The schoolgirl looked on toward her savior, fully taking in his appearance, "He doesn't really seem to have anywhere to go to. He doesn't look like he's from around here and his cloths look pretty worn out." She pointed to his bare feet. "He doesn't even have any shoes."

"Your point being…"

"I bet someone like him would appreciate waking up with a nice roof over their head."

Lightning's eyes widened, finally piecing together what her sister was implying. "No."

"Aw come on sis." She whined.

"No. Absolutely not." The elder sister crossed her arms, expressing her resistance to the idea.

"Pleeeeeease." Serah's big blue eyes appeared to grow larger, tearing up as she made over exaggerated whimpers.

"No never in a million will I ever let some freeloader stay at our house."

-Farron Residency-

"_I can't believe I'm letting some freeloader stay at our house."_ Lightning mentally grumbled.

An internal version of Serah did a victory dance in her head, _"Little sister: 1/ Big Sis: 0."_

"Serah go put something on that bruise of yours," She said through clamped jaws.

"K!" Her baby sister chirped out brightly obviously pleased that she had gotten her way. _"The puppy dog eyes never fail!"_

The moment she disappeared up the stair Lightning threw the, still very much, unconscious Naruto on to the nearest piece of furniture, that just so happened to be the sofa. She released a heated grunt as she rubbed her temple, god she hated how persuasive her sister could be when she wanted to be.

The elder Farron was not happy with how the day had gone. The rain had already been enough to sour her mood but it just had to get worse.

Work today had almost had been as bad as the weather. Ava, getting freaked out by the thunder had accidentally pressed the 'delete' function for the library's database. She was lucky that she was computer savvy or else they may have lost every single transaction for the past three months and even then she still had to manually revamp the entire system.

And then some loud brat, who had apparently never been in a library before, had waltzed in, making it all the more difficult to do her work.

But neither of those could compare to how upset the snoozing blonde made her. It wasn't because he was loud. It wasn't because he'd made have to wait two hours for their next shuttle or the embarrassing looks she got when she had to lug him around. Not even the staying at her house part really didn't bother her too much.

No.

What really bothered her was that this random no named idiot…

Had done a better job than her.

That he alone had assisted in maintaining her promise.

Her hand snaked to her chest, cradling the lightning shaped pendant that hung from her neck as if it were a priceless gem (which it was in her eyes). She stared at the blonde with a calming intensity, like the beams of light in the early morning sunshine.

"You know I should probably thank you…for saving Serah and all." The slumbering teen twitched with the sound of her voice. "…But I won't." She left her spot near the sage to head up the stairs, stopping mid way, "Because I won't let it happen ever again."

The sound of her footsteps faded up the steps and a certain someone cracked a smile at hearing those words.

Maybe there was still something to live for here after all…

**Author's Notes: So yeah second chapter, begging for reviews, updates, complaining about my life, conditions of my other stories and a bunch of other crap you probably won't read. **


	3. A Day in The Life

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it?**

**Authors notes: Sorry for any typos found in the story, they're very easy to miss. Please try to make due with what's there and don't let them get in the way of the story if you find you find some that went unnoticed. **

**And for everyone asking about pairing I'm going to inform you that the process of a relationship is completely and absolutely 100 and 10%…..**

…

…

… **Confidential. (You'll just have to wait and see how things turn out for yourself.)**

**Character Ages:**

**Naruto: 15**

**Lightning: 15**

**Snow: 14**

**Yuj: 13**

**Lebreau: 16**

**Serah: 12**

**Ava: 22**

"_thoughts"_

"normal speech"

"emphasis"

"**demonic/ godly/ intense speech"**

**Now on ward! To future victory!**

-Farron Residence-

Fifteen-year-old Lightning Farron greeted the day like she had for as long as she could remember, without a single groan of fatigue and a deeply engraved scowl plastered on her face. She silently got out of bed, heedful of the noise that her movements generated.

She gazed out her window to meet the, not so bright, Cocoon morning, staring out at the exceptional view of the beach that her home possessed and losing herself to the sight of the crashing waves that still managed to fascinate her despite the overbearing darkness.

She gathered her cloths from the closet that she shared with her sister, who snoozed peacefully without a care in the world, the light of the still present moon emulated her with it's immaculate rays. It almost brought a smile to her face every time she witnessed the sight. But, just like all the times before, a frown soon fallowed.

It always deepened her disgruntled expression every time she took their lack of living space into consideration. A bedroom, a bathroom, a basement and a living/dinning area completed their abode. Needless to say it was a small home, barely able to support the two of them, let alone the impromptu 'guest' that lay snoozing downstairs.

"_She deserves so much more than this," _She mentally sheathed. Serah turned in her sleep, causing her blankets to slip off her tender form. The elder Farron was quick to re-cover the blissful girl, moving with such efficiency that her body had yet to even shiver from the loss of warmth.

She felt inclined to stroke her slightly darker locks but reluctantly decided against it, pulling away from her dozing sibling as she headed into the bathroom to wash away any dreams still clinging from her night.

-Fifteen Minutes Later-

The freshly washed Farron lightly traveled down her steps with the caution of a surgeon, initiating every footfall with the uttermost care.

Lightning instinctively made her way to the coffee machine that rested on the kitchen counter, proceeding to brew her morning beverage despite the fact that she wasn't even tired. It was more of a habit, if anything.

A voice interrupted the morning silence. "I'll have mine with a cream and sugar please."

Lightning wiped around with fist cocked, ready to defend herself against the suspected intruder. The shadowy entity ducked out of her strike with a hushed curse. "You know if you didn't want to share you could've just said so." The person stepped into the moonlit light, revealing a blonde head and whiskered face; she contemplated whether or not she should strike him anyways.

It would've been so easy to blame it on nervous instincts.

The coffee machine rang with a high-pitched 'ding', dissolving any tension that the incident may have caused. The pink haired teen poured herself a cup of the bitter drink, seemingly indifferent to the blonde's presences. She took an analyzing sip of the piping hot beverage, not bothering to introduce any addition sweetener to the brew. She judged it to be 'acceptable' before taking another sip from her mug.

"Your awake."

"Well I was bound to eventually." He shrugged off the question with out a second thought.

The elder Farron sighed nonchalantly, not very pleased with the answer; "Why are you awake now?" She clarified. Most people would be knocked cold at this ungodly hour.

Naruto shrugged in response, "I dunno. Just didn't feel like sleeping anymore I guess."

"You were beaten to unconsciousness…" Lightning stated off handedly, taking another swing of her drink. "People don't just feel like getting up from that."

"Really? I do it all the time." A fox-like grin streaked across his lips, "I guess not every one can be as awesome as me." His pristine jaw glistened in the moonlight, revealing their sharper than average appearance to the world.

Lightning grunted inconclusively at the comment finding her beverage much more interesting than his bravado. The lack of recognition deflated the blonde's disposition like an old balloon…not that she really cared.

His voice held that boisterousness that irritated her so much. The boldness of his hair was unappetizing to the eyes, bearing a shade of blonde that could blind someone if the right conditions were met. The aloofness in his expression was ever present, despite fluctuating now and then.

The pink haired teen felt a sense of dread well in her stomach. She could already tell what type of person he was…and she utterly hated it, because she knew for a fact that this wasn't going to be some fling of kindness. She could already feel her pocket waning from the expenses that she knew would come. The impassive Farron let another sigh leave her lips, sometimes her sister was too much of a kind soul for her own good.

She moved to take another sip from her cup only to be disheartened be its emptiness. Lightning turned away from her 'guest' for a refill, her aqua irises trailed at their borders, refusing to relieve their gaze of the blonde who had forgone his attention from the pinkette in exchange for looking out the small balcony window, observing the urban sprawl with eyes that looked beyond the textures of Bodhum's lower districts. He appeared dazed by the expanse; his cerulean orbs seemed dulled, far too lost in the sea of twisted metal and concrete to shine with the same brightness they once held only moments before. She contemplated what could bring such a sudden shift. He looked distracted, troubled even. She couldn't help but feel the need to voice some form of concern.

"Eh? Is there something wrong?" He said with a tilt to his head. And in an instant the blankness was gone as soon as it came, replaced by a blue that seemed far too vibrant for this time of day.

She chose to further her scrutinization over backing off, doing the exact opposite of what would be expected of most in a similar situating.

Naruto almost jumped when a firm, yet soft-handed grip landed on to his jaw. He looked to the source. Deep cerulean met aqua and he felt his body stiffen.

She was so close.

His breath hitched, he'd never been so near the opposite sex outside of battle. He felt his heart jump in his chest when her delicate features leaned in. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. The meager inches separating them were so insignificant that shortness of her breath felt more like an extension of her body caressing his skin. The light escaping into the kitchen super imposed her articulate features, defining every contour as if she were sculpted from the most supreme of materials. Her jagged locks shielded one of her crystalline orbs from view, giving her a mysterious quality to her that brought chills down his spine. At this moment calling her 'pretty' wouldn't do her justice.

The endless octave that he could rely on in any situation up until now left him, abandoned to the mercy of her gaze. He felt so vulnerable.

Was this really it? Had the moment he'd been waiting for finally come?

"You're uninjured."

Not even if lightning had the courtesy to struck twice.

She turned his tan visage to the other side to get the full perspective, finding equally unblemished skin. "How is that possible?" She retreated from the blonde feeling somewhat bothered by his unspoiled features. Not even a blotch of purple discolored the teen's skin; she could feel the self-pity rising like molten magma, boiling in her chest like a burning flood.

The pride she took in her physical prowess wailed like a wounded animal who had overstepped its boundaries, forced to pay for it arrogance.

Did her name not hold as much water as she'd predicted? Was she really this weak? Could she not protect Serah as well as she thought?

It was a maddening concept, one that could break even the most level headed of people.

If she couldn't fulfill that then what was the point anymore?

A much softer voice responded to her, breaking her of her stupor, "I heal really fast." The noise coming from him was severely out of character, sounding like something more suited for an old man than a budding teenager. His eyes had trailed away from her, as if the very words he spoke were more encumbering than the simple phrase should have.

They stood there for what would be days if time fallowed their internal structure. Neither bothering to strike up anything that wasn't pulled back moments before being uttered. They may have very well been strangers, and for the most part they were. Holding no information about the other outside of names. The very air was laced with discomfort and silence reigned unopposed.

It was as awkward as anyone could imagine.

Lightning coughed in her hand, adding more to the situation than distilling it as she had intended. She shoved a slip of paper into his chest, taking aback the blonde by her sudden action. Naruto struggled to keep the sheet from falling out of his gasp. He looked at it quizzically, having great difficultly reading it in the darkness of the room.

"Chores?" The whiskered teen questioned while scratching the back of his head.

"Your not staying here for free if that's what your implying, and considering your…wardrobe I would assume that you're not someone that rolls in gil." The painfully true comment prompted the young shinobi to look over his state of dress. He was still wearing the same cloths that Snow had lent him the day prior and now that he thought about it they were a little worse for wear.

The black pants were dulled to more of deep gray than black, bearing holes where the knees would be and held loose fibers along the ankles from constant scrapping along the ground. His shirt was still a little damp from the yesterday's rains and it too had some holes as well as bearing slight yellowish tint to it. It was most likely the only thing he could really spare at such short notice.

He looked up from his ram-shackled appearance, "So you want me to be your personal slave?"

"Janitor would be a more appealing term." The elder Farron corrected. She amble over to the refrigerator, pulling out an unidentified pasty, "It sounds more liberating."

"Not by much." He grumbled, not too enthusiastic about the conditions. It was like D-ranks all over again.

"I could make you my slave for real if you'd prefer that." She bit back, placing a hand on her hip.

Naruto would have let a chuckle escape at the idea…if the room hadn't felt like the temperature had dropped by about fifty degrees. A cold sweat trickled on the back of his neck. _"She can't be serious?" _He was quick to reevaluate his assumption, realizing from what he'd seen the idea didn't seem as unlikely as he'd hoped. "I-I'll get it done."

Lightning stalked over to him with predacious eyes sharpened like dagger to the point that they'd render even the toughest of men weak kneed. "You better hope so…" She hissed, jabbing her finger into his chest with more force than necessary. "…Because if you still haven't finished when I get back…lets just say your gonna wish I left you out in the rain." She let the threat hang in the air, leaving the home without a word of explanation.

The Uzumaki released a breath he didn't even know he was holding; the prospect of failure didn't seem like much of an option anymore. Naruto ran a hand through his unruly spikes. Why do all the pretty girls in his life have to be so dangerous? He wished that just once he could meet a girl with no strings attached, one that'd ask him out for a change.

Like hell that'd happen.

The chances of that occuring were about as unlikely as Hinata secretly having a crush on him since the academy days. It just wasn't a possibility.

Helooked over the rather healthy list once more and released a heavy sigh. _"Well it's better than being homeless I suppose."_

-With Serah-

There was peace.

The status quo of blue was replaced by a breath-taking swirl of pinks and oranges, dancing together in a waltz of harmony in and amongst clusters of puffy wisps.

The whispers of the wind nestled her cheeks, running through her hair the same way her mother used to on sleepy days so many summers ago.

Beams of light peaked from the overlying canopy, creating webs of white that contrasted with the damp green of its surroundings.

Various animals sang in scattered harmony, coming together for nature's orchestra. And leaves of all shapes and sizes cascaded around her, drifting with out a care in the world.

Serah held her hand out, catching one that had just recently departed from its host. She smiled. "It's so nice here…"

She looked up from her palm and there was silence.

The sky blanketed over with gray.

A sudden gush of wind whipped her with invisible force, causing her to stumble and the leaf in her grasp to flutter away. She couldn't help but reach for it, not really sure of what else to do.

It seemed so far away and the distance seemed to increase with every inch she took, slipping away like the minutes of the day.

Nothing else mattered.

She had to get to it.

Her fingers finally made contact with the leaf, bringing a smile to her lips. She brought it closer to her chest, cradling it as if it were the most precious thing in the world. A sound reminiscent of ice cracking resonated from her palm.

She looked down just in time to witness the leaf stiffen up in her hands…

#CRACK#

…Before shattering into millions of translucent shards.

The wind bellowed an ominous howl and she looked around her once more.

Everything was gone.

Crystallized under a gray sky.

She let a tear escape her and watched it fall, as it too froze solid in air.

-Farron Residence-

Serah awoke with a start, jumping from her covers as if she'd been dowsed with water. She took deep labor bound gasps. Her hands frantically felt herself as if unsure of her own existence. The younger Farron exhaled in relief, it was just a dream. But it felt so real, like the world had really frozen around her, all alone to deal with the timelessness, drowning in her own sense of undisclosed regret.

It was a terrible feeling.

She feared she would go have gone insane if she'd been there for another subconscious minute.

"It was only a dream." She repeated to herself in mantra, a fabrication of an overactive imagination, it wasn't real. There's just no way.

Yet something in the back of her mind kept nagging her, preventing from reaching peace of mind.

She retreated into herself, resting her chin on her knees. Bodhum's morning chill snuck up on her, causing a shiver to trail her spin.

It was cold…

Just like the crystal…

-With Naruto-

It was around seven o'clock and Naruto, uneager to find out what the pinkette had meant, completed his chores much faster than even he thought he was capable of.

At times it paid to live alone, you figure out how to do a lot of things that you wouldn't have dreamed of doing otherwise, home maintenance being one of them. The task would have gone even smoother with jutsu but using 'magic' without one of those mana-drive things would have only rouse unnecessary attention.

He frowned at the thought.

He'd be marked for death if anyone saw him do anything remotely chakra related. And this time there wouldn't be a benevolent old man or a hardheaded woman to prevent the masses from burning him at the stake.

The idea of ignoring such a huge part of his culture didn't bode well with the blonde but he was quick to realize the consequences. The capabilities of a panicked populace wasn't something you could just walk away from, no matter what you do. There was just too much uncertainty for them to stop…and in all honesty he didn't want to have to live that life again if he had the choice.

He set his hands off the balcony railing he'd been leaning on with a stretch, unintentionally craning his head skyward. He looked up into the great blue, picking it apart with his mind's eye.

The whiskered teen's attention drifted toward the glimmering beacon locked amongst the clouds, not entirely sure of how long he stared at the light, gazing on as the fal'cie's eminence blazed in intensity with each passing second. He basked in its comforting glow; meeting it with the same captivation he'd greet the sun with back home.

The sound of padded footfalls caused him retreat from his musing. Naruto turned to meet the source to find the same girl he saved the day before drag herself on to the balcony.

She was wearing a navy blue pair of pajamas designed with what appeared to be white fairy looking creatures with bright red noses along with yellow slippers resembling birds on her feet.

She looked…off, sporting an expression more fitting for a zombie than a cute little girl. Her complexion was pale and sickly; her greenish aqua irises were soulless, failing to glisten in the light. If it wasn't for her current state of dress he could have judged her as someone more akin to Gaara.

She just stood there, blankly staring out at the city with her empty eyes. Her lack of movement was being to disturb Naruto who was desperately waiting for some form of communication. When none came he chose to enact his own, clearing his throat of the nonexistent phlegm in an overzealous manner.

The action appeared to ruse the pinkette somewhat who blinked furiously in response, looking around as if unsure of how she got there.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced_._"

The younger Farron shook her head, her pink locks swaying in their unbound state. She turned toward the leaf shinobi with a warming smile with no signs of her previous disposition to be found, as if it had only been a figment of his imagination." I believe your right Mr. Hero."

Naruto grimaced at the acquisition. Once upon a time he'd have soaked in such attention faster than any sponge, "I'm no hero," but not anymore. He voice uttered barely above a whisper, lacking its usual exuberance. He had no right to be called that…

The female of the pair raised an eyebrow toward the blonde's response before grabbing a lone watering pale lying on the cramped floor space. "Well you saved me didn't you?" She turned to look at him with a tilt to her head. "That counts for something in my book."

No words befell the pair for quite some time. Serah shrugged not willing to pry too deeply into something she had no business in. She simply chose to occupy herself by turning to a lone potted plant on the windowsill framing the balcony.

It was frail looking thing, small and wilted with barely enough leaves to pass of as living. She handled it with utmost care; mindful of the way she nourished the plant, making sure to not overstep the goldie locks zone with which all plant fell under.

"You know its not going to grow like that."

"Hm?" The younger Farron managed to muster, slightly startled by the sudden strike of conversation.

"It's not going to grow properly…at least not here." She heard him droll out without bothering to face her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head once more.

"Look around you." The pinkette appeared confused by his answer but, nonetheless, fallowed his instruction, bringing a new level of scrutiny to the lower districts that the Farron sisters had called home for the past two years.

The area, while not exactly impoverished but still held little to be desired.

The neighbor hood structures were simple and tightly compacted with few possessing architectural features that could describe them as more than glorified boxes. Most brandished cracks and ware, sporting a texture that few would call flaunting in artistry. It was difficult to visualize that such glimmering towers existed so close by. The rest of Bodhum could very well be on another planet with just how depressing this area was.

Serah didn't reply immediately, choosing to take a few moments to fully digest his implications before producing a proper response.

"…You know I've been taking care of this plant for while now." She said in a far away manner, fully aware that he in fact wouldn't have that information. "…Seeing it grow to be big and strong would mean the world to me." He looked on as she picked up the small clay pot, staring at it a half lidded gaze. "…But this place is so cramped and gloomy that it makes raising anything close to impossible." She brushed one of its limp leaves with immense care, treating it more like a recently birthed newborn than a plant. She lifted her head to look at him, creasing her lips into a shape that would usually represent joy.

It didn't reach her eyes.

"It's kinda silly now that I think about it…putting so much work into something like this." Her eyes welled with moisture that seemed far too extreme for something so small. "I mean what's the point in trying to change something so hopeless."

She angled away from him, not wanting the man who saved her life to see her in such a condition. It was a lost cause, however…

The faint 'plopping' sound was all he needed to know what she was truly doing.

The pinkette cursed her weakness; he'd probably think that she was a freak now, crying over something so trivial. But it was too much. She just wanted the world to stand still, for everything to stop and stay the way it was.

The dams broke, turning from a meager trickle into a crashing flood, engulfing her in its swell. She couldn't stop herself now even if she tried…it was hopeless now. What was the point in trying when you knew you couldn't do anything to change it? The thought made her think of Lightning, working her fingers to the bone.

She felt so ashamed. Her sister would be so disappointed in her right now. She could just imagine it, that intense gaze of hers that would always engulf her in exposure. She could see the way her sharp locks would swing when she shook her head as if she were standing before her. Then she'd purse her lips, cringing with disgust before she'd say-

"Your such an idiot."

Her head snapped toward the voice, almost expecting to see her sister standing there with her imposing gate.

"There's always a way to change anything."

"What?" She barely managed to choke out.

"What?" He mocked, holding a hand to his ear. "Are you deaf now too ya big crybaby?" He teased light heartedly, poking her nose with a cheesy smile plastered on his face.

"Nothing is impossible, even if you wanted it to be." He wipes a thumb across her cheek to clear the tears still lingering on her cheeks. "Because its not a matter of hope and hopelessness or possible and impossible," he gazed out into the cloudy sky, letting the weight of his own words to take hold within himself, "…but weather or not you have the guts to not let yourself just sit back and die, to be willing to take your fate into you own hand and live on the path that's best for you and your precious people." His spiky hair fluttered with the wind and the ever present the shadows receded to light, striking the sage with a glow that emulated his entire form.

"…So don't give me that hopeless crap," he finished, ruffling her already unkempt hair, "because I know for a fact that you were just being too lazy to look." He allowed a small smile to shine on his lips that dazzled despite its miniscule nature.

The younger Farron didn't bother fixing her locks; the very sight of him left her lost in speech. He seemed so confident in his words, like he'd restated them so many times before, changing lives were ever he went and worming his way into those who wouldn't listen. "Are you sure your not some super hero?"

"I'm not a hero!" He cried out childishly, completely disregarding any of Cocoon's other inhabitance.

She smirked at him unconvincingly, taking joy out of his odd sense of resistance. "You so are," any trace of her previous state was none existent. "Probably have a secret lair," She touched a finger to her chin in a thinking pose, " or maybe even a spandex jumpsuit."

The whiskered teen released a huff of annoyance; so far being a Good Samaritan wasn't doing him any good in this world. "No Way! That is beyond lame!" While the idea of a lair wasn't so bad the idea of being some cat saving spandex wearing idiot was just ridiculous, he was a ninja damn it! (And while he did know of two very excellent ninja who wore jumpsuits, he was nowhere near crazy enough to consider joining their freaky little bandwagon!) "There is absolutely no chance in hell I'd do something like that!

The younger Farron's features contorted into a rather accurate impersonation of the cat that swallowed the canary. "Sure~, whatever you say Mr.? Can't have your secret identity revealed after all."

"I am not a super hero, dattebayo!"

The pinkette made a face similar to the one curious child would give to their parents when met with something that confused them, tilting her head to add to the image of innocence. "Eh~ Does that even mean anything?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

-With Lightning-

The bitter teen grumbled incoherently as she stomped out of Bodhum's library.

She'd just been given an unscheduled day off by her "generous" superior due to the "stellar job" she did yesterday, even going as far as to throw in a whole sack of gil just for the hell of it. She'd probably thought she was doing her a favor, unaware of the various implications that may be perceived.

Lightning opened the hefty bag that'd been force upon her person, carefully counting each token of gold. She added up the total, taking another run through to be absolutely sure. _"Three thousand gil."_ That was about an entire months worth of straight up work (without days off), an overly generous amount if she had to say so herself. She wouldn't have to lift a finger for quite some time if she wanted to. That simple fact alone left no shadow of a doubt that there were more than a few people that would kill to have someone even marginally as kind in charge of their finances.

But she was far from "normal"; she didn't react to such things the same way most people would.

Sure she was thankful to have such a blessing bestowed upon her but that's where the similarities with the rest of society would end.

She didn't want this money.

It didn't feel right, like it was born more from pity than her work effort (which wasn't more than what she usually did to begin with).

Things like that didn't bode well with her; she'd rather earn something instead of having it spoon fed to her off a silver platter.

She was Lightning Farron, not some hapless charity case.

The pinkette grunted. It was only seven o'clock in the morning and her plans for the day were pretty much shot. She honestly doubted her new "servant" had finished with the list she'd given him (she was mean not cruel). She looked down at her moneybag, "Might as well put this to good use," she sighed out, placing the sack in the red bag strapped to her thigh.

She glided through the throngs of people, not caring who she knocked shoulders with along the way. It's not like they'd remember a passing face in the sea of bodies. They were just people after all. Scatterbrained beings that'd forget their own appearance by the time they turned away from the mirror. Tell a secret and they're bound to forget the importance behind it seconds later, blowing proportions out of the water, blind to the sentiments of weight.

It was sad how easy it was to give away faith to just absent-minded creatures, allowing heedlessness to corrupt our consideration of perspective.

The Farron reached a gape in the mobs, breathing in deep at the newfound elbowroom.

She continued onward, bumping into a rather stylish looking boy around her age wearing a white suit at the epicenter of the proverbial clearing, causing him to lose his balance.

A slight pressure on her person caused the elder Farron to halt her advance. She craned her head to find a well-groomed hand grasping her forearm. Blue eyes trailed up the appendage toward its source, locking with the vengeful golden eyes of the boy she'd just bumped into.

"Apologize." He demanded.

"Let go." She uttered curtly.

He blanched at the response as if it were unprecedented offense. He lifted himself off the ground, frowning at the less than perfect state of his dress before resituating his vision to the pinkette. "It would be in you best interest to heed my request." The unnamed boy stated artificially, tightening his hold. He felt queasy. He couldn't believe he was actually touching this…commoner. "Lest you forsaken yourself to those greater than you."

"And it would be in your best interest to Let-Go." She echoed, enunciating the last of her words to better stoke the flames of her voice. Was she honestly so deaf to his warning?

"Why the nerve? Do you know whom your dealing with?"

"No." She checked her nails, almost as if she were bored by his presence.

He appeared taken aback but was quick to hide it behind his air of aristocracy. He held a gloved hand to his chest like many skilled politicians would do before a speech. "Romulus Gilgamesh heir to Gilgamesh Incorporated." A smug grin stretched across his lips. The sight of the world freezing before him was truly a divine sight. Countless thralls would retrace their steps to get a better view as if to judge whether or not their ears had deceived them. Sweat would spill and mouths would fall, and even those most defiant would quiver in his wake. And then once they had taken their fill of gawking they would grovel at his feet like dogs, whimpering for forgiveness.

Lightning fell silent at the name; causing Romulus's maw to threaten split his visage. The lack of retaliation was like music to his ears. It was only a matter of time before she'd fall just like everyone else, bowing at his feet, begging for the mercy that he would not provide.

The display was always a mirthful one; how so quickly they would shift in emotion like the swap of a mask, only revealing their true selves when the extent of their feebleness had been realized, a truly beautiful sight he'd have t-

A fist suddenly lashed out, shatter his musing and leaving no room for the wealthy teen to even fathom what'd just happened.

The blow sent him crashing into the metallic floor. He groaned, placing a hand on his jaw to feel the tell tale warmth of blood gushing from his busted lip. "Do you honestly think I care who you are?" He heard her lash out. He lifted his head to meet the elder Farron's stare only to regret it moments later.

She grunted, turning away and all he could to was watch as her form melted away from his sight. The crowd erupted into a roam of whispers, in disbelief of what they'd just seen. And for once Romulus felt that all the money in the world wouldn't change a damn thing.

-With Naruto and Serah-

The pair of uniquely pigmented individuals sat on the couch watching a ridiculous show about a group of kids going on adventures together with the hopes of stopping an evil nation of fire wielding megalomaniacs who, of course, had the desire of world domination.

Naruto felt himself being enthralled by the combat, felling a striking sense of nostalgia when one of the antagonistic "fire-benders" spewed a stream of flames out of his mouth, barely missing the group of children as they made their escape. He found it kind of ironic really. In his world he'd always associate good things with fire.

But while Naruto's eyes stayed glued to the television, a certain Farron had her eyes locked on to something else.

She couldn't help but blush every time she'd snuck a peak at the blonde. He was just so~…interesting.

He turned catching the young girl in her daze. "Um… is there something wrong Serah?"

That's right they knew each other's names now.

After her little 'episode' the pair finally took the time to become more familiar with each other, conversing for quite some time about nothing in particular, moving from topic to topic with no real sense of direction in sight, stopping only when the cries of the blonde's stomach became too unbearable to be ignored any longer.

He had an awful sense of table manners…

"Serah?"

"Hm oh no everything's fine." She waved him off.

"You sure?" He didn't sound very convinced, "You know you can tell me if there's a problem?"

"Yeah…I know…" He was such a nice person, going through so much trouble to make sure that she, a relative stranger, was okay.

But even so she didn't feel like she could fully trust him as well as she'd hoped, even though he'd saved her life. He was just too foggy for someone with such a sunny disposition.

Naruto nodded, turning back to the television still very much skeptical but decided against voicing it and the quiet took over once more.

Serah fidgeted in her seat, subconsciously inching closer to the whiskered blonde.

The silence was displeasing, instilling a storm of nausea in the pits of her stomach.

"I'm sorry."

The young sage turned away from the show to face the pinkette, "Huh for what?"

"For Lightning beating you up yesterday. It must've hurt a lot."

He laughed, "I would be lying if I said it didn't." It was crazy how much strength that girl possessed. He'd faced stone cold killers who struck with less.

"Sorry. If it wasn't for me you-"

Naruto cut her off, "You apologize too much. There's no way you could have predicted that would have happened. It was just bad luck that's all."

"But"-

"But nothing." He interjected. He could never understand why people always wanted to take the blame for things that they weren't liable for. Wasn't wishing to not feel responsible human nature. "Blaming yourself isn't going solve anything. It happened so what? It's in the past." He gave her a foxy smile. "No use dwelling on it, right?" The word came out somewhat strained, as if he was having trouble with something.

"Right…" She nodded, a shade of pink dusting her cheeks. "I hope you can forgive her."

The blonde sage raised an eyebrow, "Who Lightning? There's nothing to forgive."

"But"-

"Oi! What did I just say?" He bellowed in false scolding.

"She beat you up though."

"She was just protecting her precious person. I would have done the same thing if was in her shoes." He smiled and while that wasn't entirely true… but he hardly felt going into detail of the horrors he'd enact against such a person would be appropriate. He didn't want to cause any mental scars with his potential insanity.

"How are you so forgiving?" You don't just 'forgive' someone who beat you to unconsciousness. So why wasn't he simmering in the slightest.

"I'm not forgiving," He positioned both hands behind his head, "I can just tell a nice person when I see one."

Serah simply stared at him before letting a giggle slip her tongue. "Lightning? Nice? That's not usually what most people associate with her."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Are you most people?" Shutting her up and allowing Silence ruled once more, reigning over its kingdom of lost breaths and awkward responses with an iron fist, ready to vanquish conversation wherever it rears its head…or it would have if a boot hadn't decided to kick the door open, rattling up a certain ramen addict to his core.

A pink head of hair fallowed soon after, producing a hasty "Gets go" before retracting as quickly as it came.

The younger Farron merely shrugged, having grown accustomed to her sisters sudden episodic briefness. At least she'd actually said something this time.

She fallowed her sister's implications, stalking up the stairs to prepare for whatever she had in mind.

The abandoned Uzumaki simply stared, blinking in obvious confusion at the near wordless exchange. He felt so lost right now.

-Twenty Minutes Later-

The shuttle ride wasn't much more spectacular than it was when he was unconscious.

Piles of rushing commuters packed into the floating vehicle like an over sized can of sardines, smashing the trio against the thin film of glass that separated them from the scenery zooming past. The air was lathered in a musty humidity that choked the back of your throat with numbness.

Naruto grimaced at his lack of elbowroom, his right arm bent awkwardly by the constricting pressure of bodies, causing a creping tingle to rush up the appendage.

He shuffled in the limited space of shuttle. The whiskered teen forced his hand to splay its fingers, renewing some of the lost blood flow. Nerves rekindled, circulating back to him with a wondrous surprise.

The touch receptors in his palm fired, revitalizing to a sensation both soft and firm at the same time. His hand reached for the object, not bothering to allow the brain to decipher what it was before acting.

Lightning jumped, bumping into her daydreaming sister. She mouthed a swift apology before turning her direction toward the blonde. She stared him down accusingly, cheeks fuming red with anger (or so he thought).

The whiskered shinobi tried his hardest to avoid the pinkette's fury but found little sanctuary in the confined nature of the shuttle. He shifted under her gaze, coming into contact with the texturally pleasant entity once more. The elder Farron faltered for the briefest of moments, gasping as he attempted to reassess his position.

The blonde jinchuuriki blink at her reaction, unsure of what to make of it. He stretched his palm once more, earning the same result as before along with deepening the glare courtesy of his sheathing female counterpart.

He only recalled a few things that would result in such a response (most of them coming from his time with Ero-sennin).

Their floating transport eased to a stop, allowing its human cargo to file out in an orderly fashion. The trio fallowed suit, feeling loads of relief once they exited the proverbial 'tin can'. However the newfound freedom did nothing for blonde who found the excess room more pressurizing than the overcrowded public transportation.

He reluctantly turned to muster up anything that might extinguish any animosity that he may have caused.

#CRACK#

Only to be greeted with a fist that launched him off his feet…well it was one way to release some steam.

The Uzumaki shook his head to clear the spots in his vision. He looked up to find Serah offering a hand to him. "Still think she's 'nice'?" The whisker teen fallowed up on her show of kindness, allowing her to support him as he rose from his prone position. "Yup, " he uttered briefly, complete unfazed by Lightning's aggression. The younger Farron let a giggle escape her lips, "I'm starting to think that you don't have the ability to get angry at all." She shined a smile in his direction.

Naruto looked back at her, fighting back the instincts he relied so much on, returning her gesture with the biggest, brightest grin he could conger up at such short notice. She nodded back before chasing after her advancing sister, her smile never leaving her face.

He hesitated to go forward, taking a moment to look on at his new housemate. She was a cute girl, sweet and kind, the exact opposite of her sister cold demeanor. She thought he was a good soul, too kind hearted to be able to feel anger…

She had no idea how much he wished that were true…

…

Lightning clutched her fingers repeatedly; opening and closing them in order to rid her of the numbness deriving from her previous assault only seconds before. She seemed to be hitting things more often as of late, resulting in the slight bruising she had to deal with right now. The throbbing in her skull wasn't helping at all.

That asshole Gilgamesh had pissed her off so much, acting like he could order her around just because he had money, demanding that she beg just because he couldn't keep his balance (granted she wasn't exactly being considerate at the time).

She'd stormed off right after she'd decked him, inadvertently stomping all the way back to her house and causing her to waste a whole two hours.

And then there was Naruto Uzumaki. She didn't exactly know what to make of him. On one hand he saved her sister but on the other hand he seemed like the idiotic type who only wanted to be every ones hero. But those aspects weren't what left her pondering.

As if on queue the person she was thinking about came up not far behind her sister wearing one of the largest smiles she'd seen on a person, brandishing it as if it were some kind of beacon. She cringed at the sight. It just seemed too in character, as he was forcing the bill through his teeth.

Snapping fingers wretched her from her thoughts. She latched a hand on to the appendages, effectively halting the noise. She stared down her sister with an irritated look plastered on her delicate features. "That's annoying."

Serah pulled her hand out of her sisters grasp to resituate them on her hips, "Well I wouldn't have to do it if you weren't such a air head sometimes. We've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes." By 'we' she meant her; Naruto was too busy gawking at the interior of the building to put much thought into anything.

"This place is so cool!"

The Bodhum mall sparkled with activity. Neon lights shined exuberantly against the sheen of the metallic walls, livening the environment while at the same time enticing shoppers with their extravagant displays. Glass roofing filled the shopping center with a natural glow that enveloped everything it touched in a lively atmosphere and stores filled every corner, varying a widely as the people filling them.

It wasn't anything special to her eyes.

She took out some coins from her purse, depositing them in a smaller bag before, not so gently, hurling them at the starry eyed blonde. Her eyes almost jumped in their sockets when a flash of movement plucked the package out of thin air. She'd never seen someone move like that before.

Naruto peered into the purse; his eyes scrunched shut, mimicking an expression more suitable for a fox. "Eh? What's this?" The rather 'intelligent' comment caused the levels of awe to sink quickly.

"Buy yourself some new cloths. I don't like associating with hobos." She said over her shoulder as she moved to melt into the crowd.

The teenage shinobi continued to stare at the bag of coins. He shot his eyes up at Serah, his hand thrusting the purse into her unprepared palms. The younger Farron was startled by the sudden action. She would have almost dropped it if it hadn't been for her scrambling fingers. "What are you doing?"

"I can't accept this." The idea of relying on others for money was never one he was particularly fond of. Debts were just some of the things he'd rather go without.

She took the blonde's hand to return the bag back to him. "You don't have to accept it just use it. Lightning wouldn't have given you the money if she didn't trust you somewhat."

"But I-"

"Just have fun." She directed a smile at him. "Worry about it later." She turned around to search for her sister before rushing off to make sure she didn't fall behind, leaving Naruto on his own.

The whiskered teen sighed, clutching the bag a little bit tighter. He opened the bag once more. The varying numbers on the coins added up to about five hundred in total. He wasn't really sure whether or not that was a lot but if had to guess it was probably more than enough to buy a new set of cloths.

He looked around the mall with a look of confusion plastered on his face. He'd never really 'shopped' outside of the instant ramen section before. His cloths were usually gifts; accounting the fact that most store clerks would threaten to call the ANBU if he were so much as step a foot into the store. And even if they'd let him shop for reasonable price he usually still wouldn't have let it pass his mind. Things like that were just too boring for someone with his attention span.

He walked into the closest store, not quite sure of how to approach the racks of clothing. So instead he went about it the way he usually handled things, allowing his guts make the choices for him.

He instinctively pulled the brightest article of clothing from the rack, which just so happened to be a sunny orange windbreaker with a high turtleneck collar and blue trimming. It looked so much like the one he wore during his childhood it was scary.

Memories of times lost flooded back to him with each passing caress of the fingertips. Life was simple back then, predictable even. He could hear the scoff that Sasuke would always do when tried to stop himself from smiling. Cherry scented smoke tickled his nostrils, the very same smell that would bellow out of his Ojiisan's ever-present pipe. The times of past laughter resonated throughout his body. A small smile creased his lips…but all he felt was sorrow.

"Your not thinking of buying that, are you?" He heard a feminine voice ask him. He turned to find a woman wearing brown fitted jeans and an elegant white-strapped top that framed her chest in a slightly seductive manner. She stared up at him through cobalt blue locks that hover above her shoulders, her bangs just barely obscuring the upper portion of her face.

"No…not really." He stated meekly. The jacket may have looked like his old outfit but the sentimental value just wasn't there. It didn't have his custom red spirals or the various stitches he had to make over the years and he was absolutely sure the fibers weren't soaked in his (literal) blood, sweat and tears. It was just a jacket, a rather ugly one at that. He loved orange but even he had his limits. Dear Kami, how did anyone take him seriously?

She wiped her forehead to rid it of the mock sweat. "Whew, I was about ready to go fashion police on you if you did." She gave him a cheesy smile, which disappeared instantaneously the moment she was able to get a good look at him. "Oh my god! We have to get those hideous things off you right now!"

Naruto never had a chance to resist, for the will of the fashion demanded action…and its will would not go unfulfilled.

-Bodhum General Store: Shopping District-

"Lightning?"

"Hm."

"Why did you give Naruto that money?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, not bothering to looking up from the bottle of shampoo she was considering buying. She frowned at the less than reasonable price. Store bought items were always so much more expensive than their online counterparts. On the upside the price is what you see; there's were no hidden taxes or shipping expenses and you don't have to pay a monthly fee to access it either. She couldn't understand for the life of her why people preferred Internet purchase so much. It just burned cash that could've been used for something better.

"You never give anyone you've just met anything…" Serah pointed out as she inspected the school supplies (which were oddly enough situated next to the toiletries). "…Come to think of it, I've never even seen you hand a gil to anyone other than a store clerk."

"That's not true."

"Name one person that you've willingly lent money to." Lightning opened her mouth to speak, "other than me," but closed it just as quickly. She didn't have an answer to that.

She didn't like him and she sure as hell didn't trust him. He was too shifty. His family, his friends, his hometown, his motives; there were just too many things shrouded in darkness for her to sit idly. She'd ride a train to Pulse before she allowed her guard to drop such a person.

…

She was a complete devil, forcing clothes upon cloths on to him. What appeared to be the entire store pooled at his feet. He'd lost track of how many outfits she'd tasked him to adorn. The image of her shaking her head was ingrained into his brain. Why couldn't one fit her vision? He had to wonder if there were no ends to her dissatisfaction. He cursed whatever god plagued him to this hell; the timeless torture seemed completely beyond mortal fortitude.

He stepped out of the fitting room once more to meet the cobalt demon, ready to return back to his prison for further inhumanity.

"It's perfect!"

"Huh?" Naruto responded dumbly, too shocked to register that the pain had finally come to an end.

"Those cloths, they're perfect for you!"

The blonde adolescent looked into one of the many mirrors to inspect his garbs for the first time. A plain burnt orange v-neck shirt and a gray jacket with straps on the shoulders covered his torso, his legs disappearing into a pair of slim black jeans that ended into navy blue and black high top sneakers of a brand called "Nike".

A simple yet…interesting look.

"I like it." The whiskered boy said with a huge grin splitting his face as he admired his new attire, taking various poses as if he were a run way model (not that he'd want to be one).

"I knew you would." The blue haired woman deciphered as Jestine from her nametag smiled back.

A drop of sweat ran down the back of Naruto's neck. _"If you knew that then why did you make me try on a mountains worth of cloths?_ So how much do I owe you?"

"Huh? Owe didn't you read the sign when you came in?" He stared back at her blankly. She sighed; actions always did speak louder than words. "This is our grand opening," she made a hand motion with her palms that resembled a rainbow drifting downward," any outfit below fifty gil is free of charge."

"Your saying my outfit is free?" She nodded exuberantly. He was almost about to shoot up in celebration when she grabbed a hold of his wrist once more. The same gleam, that he hated so much, twinkled in her orange orbs. "You don't honestly think your going to be wearing the same cloths everyday, do you? That's so~ not hot."

Naruto could already feel the tears falling. It was official. She's evil reincarnate.

-Bodhum Shopping Center-

A dazed Uzumaki stumbled out of the store carrying bags filled to the brim with cloths. So many cloths, so many rules. She'd more than likely beaten more information into his cranium than his entire career as an academy student (including the two extra years he flunked).

He'd have wished to never see a piece of fabric again in his life if it weren't for the fact that he'd probably die from nudity overexposure seconds later.

At least it was all for an "insanely low price"! He just barely passed the two hundred-mark in the end. A pretty good deal if he had to say so.

He plopped down on the nearest bench he could find; a content sigh resonated from his diaphragm. Who knew shopping could be so exhausting?

The young sage scratched his belly with a yawn as he took in his surroundings for the first time.

He'd somehow manage to float his way into the center of the shopping district, an area situated directly below where the nexus of glass pooled overhead, almost as if they were waterways siphoning into a lake. The pocket was filled with a surprising amount of greenery the likes of which were foreign to him. The rays of Phoenix bent with the panes, splitting them into multicolored columns of light that rebounded into the crystalline statues standing within the area, creating a glorious display of dancing beams that almost brought a tear to his eyes.

An indoor park, he never would've believed such a lucrative idea could bear such beauty had it not been for this moment.

He inhaled deeply. The musty odor of pollen and moisture assaulted his senses. The hustle and bustle of this strange new world melted into the leaves and petals that filled the park.

It's so peaceful here…

Laugher filled his eardrum. He turned to find the source to be a little boy climbing the translucent avatar of a kneeling woman, who appeared to be praying in the beds of green.

The sight brought a crease to his lips. The mystical adventures of childhood always filled him with joy. It was something he always cherished, despite his inexperience's in innocence.

An older woman stepped into the light, grabbing the boy before he had the chance to hurt himself, doting on him like how any half-decent parent would. Displaying genuine concern for dangers the mind of a child simply could not comprehend, wagging a finger as the boy rolled his eyes at his mother's hen-like personality.

"Well, well looks like someone got a little-bit cared away."

The blonde looked up to find the scrutinizing look of Serah staring down at him with a cocked eyebrow, her hand firmly planted on her hip for mock emphasis.

Naruto looked down at his overflowing bags with a shrug. "They were on sale." He answered plainly.

Lightning ambled over to the pair. She examined his new wardrobe with a critical eye, "It's an improvement." She stated tersely, not bothering to announce any deeper judgment.

"Here's what was left." He added awkwardly, tossing her the three hundred gil that still filled the purse.

She caught the bag, nodding before leaving just as quickly as she came.

"Don't mind her it's just her way of saying she likes what she sees." The younger Farron commented, ignorant of the alternate interpretations that may be implied. She walked off to catch up to her sister.

He looked on at their retreating forms. He could still hear the ranting of an over protective mother filling the background, raving at her child in ways that only a true guardian would. He could hear it and with it the depression came forth, swelling up in his even to this very day, like a wound that didn't have the decency to heal properly.

The two sister walking side-by-side…it just wasn't right.

It was too unfitting…too broken. Where were their parents? Where was the consolation? What happened to their guidance?

They were nice people…

They shouldn't live this way.

"Naruto! Hurry Up! The shuttle will be leaving soon and I don't think Lightning is going to wait for you!"

"Huh." The blonde snapped from his frozen position. "Hey wait up!" He rushed forward to catch up with their fleeing forms. His pace was nice and brisk; no adrenaline pumped in his veins the way they normally would. There was no rush. No mission. No life or death struggle. He was just running. And for once he felt at peace. _"It's so nice here…"_

**Author's Notes: I hope it was to you liking. Please review. **

**P.S: If anyone has any ideas on how to pump these out faster I would be very grateful. **


	4. Light that is Blind

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or Naruto. But I do own my own ideas, one of them being an MMORPG involving the Naruto Universe. If anyone has any idea how I can pass this to Kishimoto then I will be sure to include you in the explosions of success later on.

**Author's Notes: It has come to my attention that the overseers of this site have been deleting stories with lemons in them. This is very disheartening as it, at times, causes writers to have to go back and delete valuable character development in order to save their stories. My question is, why? **

What is the point of doing this?

Is it really that bad?

Most writers warn that mature content is contained in their work, leaving readers to view at their own risk. Now many may rationalize that there isn't really much of an issue if the very talented lemon writers moved their smut over the adult fanfiction site and I would have to agree…if it weren't for the fact that, as it is right now, the site is sub par in comparison. The means to filtering there are confusing and down right limited, forcing you to scroll through most of the work before finding something worthwhile. In fact the only thing it has over this site is the yuri/yaoi filter.

Anyways enough with my rant and let's get on with the story!

Character Ages:

Lightning: 15

Naruto: 15

Serah: 12

Snow: 14

Yuj: 13

Lebreau: 16

Ava: 22

Jestine: 18

-Farron Residence-

The look plastered on Serah's face was an odd one.

Emotions shifted from amazement to disgust to confusion in a manner that held no rhyme or reason. She was too baffled to properly decide what she wished to display.

A rumbling queasy feeling bubbled in her gut, growing in intensity despite her general bill of good health. Her eyes would cringe but try as she might they could not stay away. It was as if some invisible force had robbed her of the ability to weigh options. Her mouth would make a nervous twitch every so often against a sickly hued canvas, leaving no room to enjoy the meal she'd so painstakingly prepared.

Why you might ask?

"-Ey, -re gou gonna eat thapt?"

She slowly shook her head before a hand snatched the steadily cooling half-eaten waffles off her plate. Her appetite wasn't the most active thing in her body at the moment.

She should have gotten used to it by now, yet even after a month the sight still shook her the same way it had since day one. It was a miracle she wasn't malnourished with how many meals have gone spoiled.

Oh why were Naruto's table manners so atrocious?

Said blonde shoveled food into his mouth at an alarming rate, his fork a blurring wave of silver. How did he even breathe under such condition; did his lunges require oxygen at all?

"Sewah dis food is bery good! Jor awn amazing cwook!"

"Eh? Oh th-thank you N-Naruto." The younger Farron stuttered out, her eyebrow twitching every so often. She wanted to scream at him, to teach him some proper table etiquette.

She would have but she didn't. She wasn't Lightning. Her nerves weren't strong enough to shrug off a compliment so easily, even when it was honestly bothering her. Despite this the teen's, less than desirable, habits remaindered her a lot of the stereotypical protagonist that most animated cartoons these days seemed have, bolstering the fantasies of heroism that she'd built around the youth. It was kind of silly really but she couldn't help herself from imagining him waving about some sort of mystical energy while sprouting about words of wisdom wherever he went.

He just fit the role so well.

Naruto patted his stomach, not a single scrap of food remained on his (or Serah's) plate. In all honesty, he'd probably gobbled down more than what was necessary. And while he was a little picky, he was never wasteful and had no intention of becoming such.

One grows to appreciate what they have when they have so little to begin with.

Strings of hushed curses fallowed by the sound of banging metal rang throughout the household. Lightning rose from the depths of the basement, a soft, weeping melody fallowing her very steps. She autonomously strode over to the coffee machine, not bothering to address either of the other residents as the tune continued to flow.

The elder Farron allowed a sigh to escape her as she ran a hand through her conflicting hairstyle.

Her appearance was rather haggard. Blue orbs sat webbed in red, sunken behind dark bags against sickly-paled complexion. Her beautiful pink locks, usually perfect by nature, lay in disarray. And the way she carried herself made it seem as though being up and about should've been the last thing on her list.

Lightning took a deep swing of her morning beverage, not bothering to take a breath of air until the entirety of the black liquid had fallen down her gullet. She quickly replenished her supply before depleting it just as quickly. She moved to refill her mug but halted herself to listen for just a moment. The waning tune of stringed instruments she could not name filtered into her eardrums.

Images of her mother wormed their way into her imagination; her flowing pink locks fluttering in the wind, as she'd close her eyes, allowing the music to flow into her. She couldn't help but imitate her on this somber morning as the 'Blinded by Light' she'd loved so much played for all to hear. The world and all its anxieties simply didn't exist, and for once she could breathe without the pressures of life clogging her windpipe. As long as she closed her eyes…she was at peace.

As wonderful as it would have been to stay there forever, all great things come to an end.

The sweet melody trailed off, fading just as quickly as it had came, flashing brightly before disappearing into black, ephemeral as all the happiness of the reunion and as much an instant as the seasons of the year.

She couldn't help but think it was perfect for her.

…

The blond could only watch as another breathe of exasperation left her before she strolled out of the tiny house, checking her phone for the call she'd so willingly missed. A mouse of a sentence floated off her lips, so silent that it was only due to his shinobi enhanced hearing that her words had failed to fall on deaf ears. Her words were mumbled together with surprising hast for something so silent; he actually had to rack his brain cells together in order to decipher that she had given him a command.

And as he dragged his way down the steps leading to his makeshift bedroom he had to wonder what could cause such an occurrence. In the relatively brief chapter of his life on Cocoon Lightning had been many things. She expressed heated resistance toward those who distressed her, shocking intelligence toward more topics than he could recall in a single bound, fluidity toward the challenges presented before her, and compassion toward those she considered precious. She'd been many things-but meek had never been one of them.

The commanding voice that would bring his spine into turmoil with every utterance seemed like little more than a memory…an impersonation of what once was.

He could only ponder upon the solidity of such behavior when the window he had witnessed it from had been so smothered to begin with.

He only knew so much and yet everything he'd known had been brought to question as of late. Only a month ago ninjas had existed, flying was a near impossibility, and the world he'd lived his whole life had been the only one in existence. All of those had been proven wrong.

He could very well be wrong again.

…

A decent amount of time had passed and Naruto was still in the basement of the Farron residence, diligently working on the damaged water heater when the sound of footsteps garnered his attention.

"Naruto?" He heard Serah call, "You still down here?"

Said blonde allowed a swear to escape his lips as a blast of steam smashed into his whiskered face. "Yeah," he sputtered, less than pleased with his progress.

"Having a hard time I'm guessing?" She said from her seat on the step, her chin resting in the palm of her hands.

"You can say that again dattebayo!" He growled out, earning another banging sound from the stubborn device as well as a small chuckle from Serah. In all honesty it could have been worse, at least it was still recognizable to him. A tad bit more like most of the other technology in this world and he wouldn't have been able to make heads or tails of it.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

He looked back at her, mulling over her proposition. Help would be nice. This blasted thing was proving to be as inconclusive as his thoughts regarding another pink haired maiden.

"I appreciate the offer but I'm pretty sure that my master would beat me senseless for allowing a budding flower to be sullied by such menial labor."

The shinobi flashed a dazzling grin at the girl causing a layer of pink to form on her cheeks that went unnoticed in such low light. "Your master sounds like quite the character, " she giggled out.

"Oh he was!" A massive grin stretched across his lips. "A super pervert through and through, always took the time out of his day to gather inspiration for that sleazy book of his, even when he was supposed to be teaching me. At least none of it went to waste. His work was actually pretty good…once you got past all the gross parts in between."

The younger Farron couldn't help but laugh at her friend's blunt description of his teacher. "He's pretty funny I'm guessing."

"Oh definitely! The pervy sage had a real sense of humor, just don't get on his bad side," the blond said, making his best impersonation of someone caught during the winters of spring country, " he was really scary when he got serious."

A soft smile creased Serah's lips, " I'll make sure to remember that next time I see him." The young shinobi didn't respond like she thought he would, seemingly attempting to force himself into his work. The joyous expression faded at the sight. She could almost taste what was coming next. "Naruto?"

"Hm?"

"What happened to him?"

The blue-eyed teen ceased his apparent efforts at immersion. It wasn't really working to begin with. His eyes grew heavy and tension in his body flowed out with each haphazard breath. "He died…not too long ago." Naruto choked out. The words left a bitter taste on his pallet. It was a cruel reality…but one he had to except.

The pinkette's eyes softened at the sight. She'd never though she would see the day when she'd curse her avid sense of foresight. "I'm sure he's in a better place."

"I know but I still miss him." He ran a hand through his spiky locks, "I just wish I could have been there for him when he needed me most. Maybe things could've turned out differently."

Maybe…

A word that just kept rearing itself in his conscious, pondering how things would have unfolded if certain events had gone in another direction. An infinity of possibilities would haunt him from time to time by reminding him of the life he could have lived had it not been for the various missteps that had transpired. He had thought long and hard about his alternate self: without Kyuubi and the sorrow it carried with it. He would have had friends, family, and the all acknowledgement that came with being the son of the Hokage.

A perfect life, a normal life, and a down right dull one that's for sure.

The Uzumaki would have slapped himself had he been brooding over such thoughts in private. What was he thinking, skulking over such meaningless crap? It happened. It was in the past. There was no point in musing over things that had already passed, especially when he couldn't change it. Plus, now that he thought about it he'd have been a total brat, pampered like royalty for bearing the same last name as the Konoha no Kiiroi Senko (Yellow Flash of the Leaf), no better than Neji before he pulled that stick of fate out of his ass. He'd rather be caught dead as Uzumaki Naruto than pissy as Namikaze Naruto any day.

Yup, crying over what made him who he was today wasn't exactly getting him anywhere. He still had two death wishes to fulfill after all. (Even if they were technically the same thing)

He turned to look at his younger counterpart only to see a girl absorbed by the space in between her feet. Something appeared to be bothering her, and he doubted it had anything to do with his latest confession. He swallowed down the lump in his throat; he was never good at these sorts of things. "Serah? Is there something wrong?"

Her attention never turned away from that space on the steps. "Naruto…w-what date is it?" Her voice came out as mere ghost of what it used to be, a feat in itself considering her already soft tone.

Naruto turned back to his work, having never been one to enjoy such sights. "June 22, why do you ask?" He turned to face the pinkette again only to be met with empty steps.

He never saw her move.

-Bodhum Shopping District-

A chipper Jestine bounded through the indoor shopping center without a care in the world, going about her day as she always would. She was an active person; standing still for long periods of time had never been one of her strong points.

It was one of the reasons why she looked forward to the lunch hour so much; stretching out her stiff muscles was a treat in itself. To her a break wasn't just some time off; it was an escape…like a miniature vacation from her life behind the cash register.

However she was a lover of chance. And despite how fantastic her surroundings were, it was only a matter of time before the throngs of stores became as monotonous as watching a techy imputing codes for a holo-monitor.

That was when she spotted her favorite customer lounging on a bench in front of one of larger department style stores that the mall had to offer.

"Naruto~!" She called out, waving to better attract his attention. Unfortunately for her the orange lover seemed to be everything but attentive, staring out at the entrance of the store with dulled eyes. "Naruto~!" She tried again and again and again but not matter how loud she yelled no response came. The cobalt haired fashion diva huffed out; she had had enough of this.

She marched over to the starry eyed teen with a look of annoyance etched on to her usually smiling face. She stood in front of the bench, growing more and more irritated by the boy's obliviousness. Suddenly an idea hatched in her mind. She inched over to the blond's ear. She sucked in as much air as her lunges would allow before releasing it into an explosive cry of "Naruto!"

The results were instantaneous. Naruto reared back falling off the bench in a shuffle of flailing limps. A hand shot to his chest, in a vain attempt to mediate his racing heart. He glared at a mirthful Jestine with an accusing eye. "Why would you do that!?"

"Well it's your fault for ignoring me for so long."

"How was I supposed to know you were there!?"

"I've been calling you for the past five minutes." She retorted with the attitude that people her age were know for.

"Oh…well when you put it that way~…" He trailed off, a sheepish expression plastered on his whiskered face as he scratched the back of his head initiating a giggle out of the steely haired woman.

"All jokes aside, is there any particular reason why you're here? She questioned, stretching out a hand to the downed teenager. "Or do you just enjoy going dreamy eyed in a public setting?" He grasped the appendage, feeling rather ridiculous accepting such a gesture from the very same person who had been the cause of his current position.

What was wrong with him?

Even the greenest of genin would have been able to differentiate a familiar voice among a crowd, especially when said person had been going about for as long as Jestine had been.

Had he really been thinking so hard that years of training had gone down the drain? This was him they were talking about, he never thought too hard about anything.

Impulsiveness was his crutch. He fallowed his instincts, doing what felt right according to the situation. He wasn't some crazy tactician like Shikamaru, planning ahead for every possible factor hundreds of steps in advance. Not only was it painstakingly difficult but it was also a matter of mentally as well. He doubted he would have willed himself to do such a thing even if he did have an IQ for it. The idea was just unnatural to him and while it wasn't the most efficient way of approaching things it was his way and his nindo had never been proven wrong before.

But if that were true then what was moving him to take on such a glossy expression?

"I do have a reason for being here and I didn't know that I was spacing out." Naruto finally voiced before he fell too deeply within his thoughts again.

"Wow someone's feeling descriptive today." Jestine grunted out, plopping down next to the blond, obviously unsatisfied by his answer.

He sighed at the cashier's bluntness; he really wasn't in the mood today. "A friend of mine asked me to escort her to the mall to buy some things."

"Ah so you're here with a… 'Lady friend'?" She enunciated suggestively.

"Yeah." Naruto raised an eyebrow at her tone. The last time he heard that voice was during his childhood at the Chunin Exams. He could only hope that spilt blood wasn't standard during such engagements. His cheek still tingled every time he thought about it.

"So~ does this 'friend' of yours have a name?"

"Serah." He answered simply.

The cobalt haired women nodded as if she were going over the response in her head. "So would you say she is…cute."

The Uzumaki ran the statement through his mind, coming up with images of the girl he'd been coming to know over these few weeks.

She was a very kind girl, going so far to assist complete strangers with any task. Her laugh was infectious and had grown to be something to look forward to during his stay. The aura of innocence surrounding her felt refreshing compared to the drained air that'd floated about in the Elemental Nations. And she always seemed to know what to say despite her moments of weakness every now and then.

But with that being said her outward appearance wasn't anything to snuff at either. Her eyes held a deeper shade than Lightning's but were just as persuasive. Every request she asked of him would be fallowed without question. If he were unaware of the fact that he was in completely different world he'd have suspected the siblings of using optical genjutsu. Her hair shined miraculously in even the most light-devoid stretches of life. Her smile held subtly, expressing her emotions in a way that he found much more meaningful than even the most animated of grins, only showing itself when the moment is fit rather than as a formality. She was only twelve but he could already tell she was growing in a beautiful women just like her sister.

"Yeah I guess so…" He uttered thoughtfully.

Jestine's pink lips twisted into a maniacal grin, "Oh okay."

"Okay…" He echoed unintelligently. He didn't like that smile.

"Well then I better get going," She lifted herself off the benching, smoothing out the ruffles that had accumulated on her skirt from sitting down, "my break's almost over and the boss will chew me out if I stroll in late again."

"Have fun." He called out as she turned to leave.

"Oh I will," dear Kami he could still feel her smiling, " just make sure you don't have too much fun with that girlfriend of yours."

"Yeah, yeah whatever," Naruto waved off perhaps a bit too eagerly. "Just go before you get fired."

Jestine remained silent, preferring to just keep grinning as she pranced off into the crowds of commuters.

A relieved sigh escaped the whiskered teen as the head of steely blue hair dissipated out of his sight. "Thought she'd never leave." He usually enjoyed her presence but today was just not one of those days. He had to thank her though.

She'd given him a major wake up call with how easily she'd snuck up on him. This cushy life was making him soft; he should have been able to sense her from a mile away. He had to start training again.

"Wait a minute!" Her words had finally caught up with him. "She's not my girl friend dattebayo!" He bellowed out, shaking his fist at his long gone companion.

What appeared to be the entire mall locked on to him. An awkward grin formed on his whiskered face. His out stretched fist slowly slinked to the back of his head. And if you listened carefully enough you could hear the sound of snickering hidden amongst the telltale whisper of wind whipping past. How there was wind indoors was beyond him but what he knew for sure was that he'd definitely getting a certain someone back for this. They didn't call him the Prank Master From Hell for nothing. Because when something set him off not even the spirits, God, or even this world's creepy fal'cie things would be able to stifle his wrath. That was a promise. And he always kept his promises.

"…"

"…"

"Naruto. What are you doing?" Serah deadpanned, hefting one of those fancy recyclable bags that they use here; apparently they're made of giant chicken feathers or something like that.

"Hey~ Serah." He laughed sheepishly in the hopes of saving face. It didn't work. "I was just… ya know…hanging around."

"Not from what I can see Mr. Verbal Tick."

A sweat drop formed on the back of his head. Why did everyone have to hate on the awesome catch phrase? "Well…do you need any help with that?" He blurted out, trying to change the subject.

"No!" She snapped, holding the items in the bag closely to herself before marching off.

"Oh…okay then." He raised an eyebrow at her sudden shift in attitude. What could she possibly be so protective about?

-Bodhum Library-

She was living outside of a fantasy for once. It was a strange experience for her.

Normally at this time the world wasn't in existence. Eyes would have been heavy from long hours behind a desk, fingers would be numb due to the constant pitter-patter of typing, and her brain would be overburdened from reading so many titles.

The day had sputtered on zombie-like in comparison and only gotten worse with her current mental state, she could barely will herself to do anything at the time being.

Ava was quick to recognize that something was wrong with the workaholic and had kindly ordered her to take the day off. Generally she'd be adamantly against such charity…but today she held back her protest.

This particular area was rather barren in comparison to the rest of Bodhum. In the silence her mind couldn't help but wander as the city froze before her senses.

Billowing trails of wind swept at her pink locks. The melancholy of overcast buried endless blue in a blanket of gray and the hues of orange had been banished by the shade.

She could only guess how the other side of Cocoon lived when times like this came to.

Were they as gloomy as they were now?

Or did they bask in the warmth that Phoenix would permeate from its throne in the sky?

She could guess but she could never know for sure…not until she was given the chance to experience it for herself.

A huff of air escaped her lips.

She sounded like some drama inducing teenager.

The emotion began to swell within her. Every single push she made was meaningless. The bumbling sensations were like typhoons in comparison her tiny thatched house of a resistance.

But truth be told, she wasn't really trying to hold them back. She allowed the flow to build up rather than blocking it out. It may have only been a trickle of what was welled beneath but either way it felt good to finally loosen her grip a little.

The clicking of footsteps resonated throughout the stretch of empty road like a blaring corps siren. Was it that time of day already?

She hastily picked herself off the curbed she'd been sitting on for what must have been the past hour, sealing away the pieces she'd permitted to spill out just as quickly.

…

The distance separating the shopping district and the library wasn't a very long one. The pair had decided to forsaken a shuttle ride this time, it wasn't really necessary when the lengths of roads could be crossed in such a short amount of time.

It was an easy trip considering how much the sidewalks opened up. For some reason there just weren't that many bodies out and about today. Under most cases the blonde would have taking this as a god send, he could only listen to so much jabber before his temples would begin to throb.

However, this wasn't most cases.

The lack of noise had only made to reveal how mute the short trek actually was. Serah hadn't spoken to him at all the entire way, resorting to using incoherent sounds more suited for Lightning rather than her.

In fact, now that he thought about it, the girl had been wrapped in silence the entire day, the time at the house and the mall being the only occurrences where she had actually bothered to open her mouth.

He actually had to restrain himself from sighing in relief when the familiar building filled into view; the awkwardness was really getting to him.

Lightning was waiting outside for once. That was definitely a change, whether it was a good one had yet to be seen.

As she began to come into focus the state of her overall condition was becoming more and more apparent. She looked…cold. Her body was shaking and her skin was sporting an even greater level of pale than this morning. She'd flex her fingers nervously as if she were trying to coax the blood flow back into her veins. She would suck in air like was going out of style. However she didn't exhale immediately, preferring to bottle it up until, her cheeks would blush before releasing.

She looked so fragile, as if she would shatter at a mere glance.

It was so strange witnessing someone so strong appear so weak. He probably wouldn't have believed it if he wasn't the one to see it. He looked over at Serah only to be met with an impassive stare. She didn't look surprised at all. In fact it was almost as if she'd come to expect this.

And just then did he realize how little he actually knew.

He'd only been here for a measly thirty days. That time frame was nowhere long enough to learn everything about this world. Of course there would still be things that he knew nothing about, the Farron sisters just happened to be one of them.

He knew their names, the basics. He could talk with them comfortably without pushing too many buttons. And he could even predict things such as Lightning's morning coffee or Serah's tendency to shoot strait for the toilet every time she came home even if she had used the bathroom earlier.

But he could never call that anything; a stranger could pick up on that type of stuff in the first three days, that didn't mean they were suddenly close.

The bonds that he'd built weren't that big at all now that he thought about it. How could they be?

He had to go back at some point.

And although he didn't want to, he realized just how problematic relations could really be in this kind of situation. Building bridges only to tare them down later was never something he ever planned to do; he'd been at the receiving end of that already, he knew how much it hurt. He could never do that to someone else. They were too nice to him to go through that. Sure it'd definitely hurt him later on but he was no stranger to pain, he would do it all by himself if he had to.

…

Lightning suddenly stopped shaking as the sounds of their footsteps came into audible range before springing up in a manner very suitable to her name. She turned to stare at them. Her eyes were still red. He would've thought she'd been crying for hours had he not known who she was. The glance was brief but to the point, she wasn't in any condition to talk right now.

Naruto attempted a smile but it came out more awkward than uplifting. Tension was high and despite what most people may think, he knows when to keep his mouth shut.

The two sisters marched on shoulder to shoulder, with him feeling more like tag along than ever.

As the walk stretched on it became clear that something, other than his companions, was different this time.

There had never been an ocean background on the way back to the house before and the outlying buildings definitely didn't hold any similarities to any he'd seen previously. Most of them were actually still in the construction phase, with very little other than the skeleton keeping them above the crystal blue beneath.

One particular home was much farther along than the rest. It was ovular in shape with a depression where the middle would be. Builders and machines of all kinds literally hovered over the structure, working the day away to ensure that it would be as wonderful as can be once it was complete. The blond cocked his head at the sight; he'd never seen buildings being made in such a way before.

The technologies this world possessed were absolutely fascinating.

He could have watched all day but it was unlikely that either of the sisters would appreciate him falling behind, especially with their emotions so out of place at the moment.

A rectangular looking object floated into view, blocking his view of the construction much to his ire.

It was a sign. A rather extravagant one, depicting various images of people wearing metallic suites that looked way too tight to be comfortable. Each one of them bolstered a heroic cardboard cut out pose that was unlikely to have used in anything other than a photo shoot. Hell he made ones ten times better in real time.

But it did definitely give him something to think about (like he didn't have enough of that today already.)

The whiskered teen couldn't help but sneak a peak at the sisters. Serah… she stuck her neck out for him when he had no idea where to go. That much was more than enough to repay whatever debt she thought she still owned him. Lightning, on the other hand, was much more direct, supplying him with food, money, clothing, and even shelter. Providing one of those would have been more that what most had even considered offering him.

They were so kind…but how did he repay them? By mooching off their livelihood, justifying his parasitism by doing work that wasn't really necessary at all for most cases. It was like being an umbrella for a place that almost always had beautiful weather. You don't really do much.

Naruto looked back at the glorified poster with a look of contemplation over his whiskered face. _"A soldier huh…" _It only made sense. He had been trained to fight ever since he was a child. And while be couldn't possibly comprehend why such a place like Cocoon would need such a force, it was all he really knew how to do. Even back home any other attempt at another field would have only ended up with negative results to all parties. He just wasn't cut out for anything else after what he'd been through.

And from what he could tell, military personnel tended to be paid way more than the average Joe. Hell if one didn't live the stereotypical life span then even a sub par shinobi could amass enough funds to retire early (then again if they sucked they probably wouldn't have been able to live that long in the first place).

A sudden rush of wind bellowed past, wrenching the blond from his thoughts and almost causing the youngest of the three to tip over. Lightning caught her sister, preventing her as well as her cargo from tumbling to the floor. She held her close, running a brief once over to make sure she was all right before shoot one of her strongest glare at the floating vehicles that had sped past. The speeders couldn't have been more than twenty feet ahead when they started to arc back toward the trio.

It was a surprise to say the least, even more so for Naruto when one of the drivers came into view, waving animatedly at the stationary shinobi.

"Hey! Naruto!" A familiar voice called, there were only so many people who knew about his presence after all.

"Yo Snow, over here!" He greeted back with just as much enthusiasm, a silly grin plastered on his face. The fly machine slowed to a spot over the heads of the groups, gradually descending to those awaiting bellow.

The older of the Farrons cocked an eyebrow at her companion's reaction. "You know these people?"

Naruto grinned back at the pinkette, glad that she at least hadn't lost her ability to speak today. "Huh? Oh yeah, I know 'em." Another speeder fallowed behind the other, carrying a man with dark skin and an interestingly sculpted hairstyle that bared some resemblance to a Mohawk. He scratched the back of his head. "…Well at least one of them."

The hothead of a teen placed a hand on her hip as if beckoning him to elaborate. "They found me beat up in the surf…probably saved my life too." Lightning nodded at his explanation, having heard his 'story' weeks before. "I didn't really get to talk to him much but I can tell he's a good person." He smiled at her meekly, "I'm pretty sure you'll get along with him just fine."

The elder Farron turned to the hulking form of the well-muscled teen sliding off his seat. He looked well enough but when she reached his face a disapproving grunt escaped her. "I wouldn't count on it." She uttered coldly. She'd seen some chivalrous people but that look of his had definitely taken the cake. It was too reassuring…too solid, wearing it as if it were some sort of badge of honor. Emotions weren't supposed to be worn like some new pair of cloths. What was he, some sort of superstar or something? Yeah like that routine would woo anyone. Just what was he trying to pull?

Snow stalked up to the on blond in the trio with a giant grin on his face. "Naruto!" He shouted out, clasping on to the shinobi in a firm handshake. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too Sn-"

The bandana wearing teen swiftly pulled Naruto in, smashing his companion's face against a gloved fist.

The Uzumaki was quick to recover, bounding back to his fellow blond the moment the appendage left his cheek. "What was that for you scruffy looking prick?"

"Where the hell did you go?" Snow bellowed out, unfazed by the insult. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

Naruto gave the teen a half glance, "There were…some things I had to figure out." He clutched his swollen jaw. He was beginning to wonder if everyone on Cocoon had such solid punches.

"Figure something out?" Snow echoed. "Figure something out! You expect me to believe that crap?"

"What do you know?" The Uzumaki bit back harshly. His origin was a rather touchy subject, one that'd he rather not think of when there was no immediate way to get back. "I couldn't just sit there."

"Yes you could've. You could've stayed there for as long as you wanted and we wouldn't have minded one bit." The bandana wearing teen swallowed the lump in his throat that had been growing in volume with every thought; he was never much of a preacher. "You were half dead when we found you…even some one like me knows that moving at all in the condition you were in would've been suicide." Half dead, did these people even understand the term? Life seemed too comfortable for that.

It didn't seem to exist at all here, as if the aspect of war was only a fantasy to their conceptualized minds. It just didn't exist.

In this place…this Cocoon…pain was all but a mere fairy tale…and sorrow a shadow. Life was good. They had no reason to feed into the vicious cycle.

The Uzumaki opened his mouth to speak but was quickly silenced when a certain pinkette decided to voice her opinion.

"The forces of nature are furious but steady when necessary." She paused to allow what she had said to sink in. "Being turned into a mummy should have been a clear sign to slow down." She crossed her arms over her chest, giving the man whom she'd been (forced into) living with for the past few weeks one of her sharpest stares.

"Lightning?" Was she honestly supporting someone she'd just met?

"I don't know who this blowhard is," she announced, gesturing to the seething teen in a bandana, "but he obviously was interested enough to save you in your time of need to want to save you. They could have easily left you out to rot if they didn't feel like going through the trouble…god knows I would've." Now it was the other blond's turn to bellow out at the Farron's words. The likes of which lay oblivious to the feeling she had irked. "For you to go against that sympathy is just plain rude. Did you even stop to wonder how they would feel?"

Naruto didn't answer immediately.

Mostly because he couldn't say he had.

He stopped to take in the sights around him the towering spires, the droves of machines skittering by, the city float in the sky. This place was like a page out of his imagination…it was nothing like Konoha.

They couldn't relate to him at all.

No one here had seen anything close to what he'd seen or felt what he'd felt. How could anyone in this world possibly understand the strain of forced growth, to lives as an adult when the trivial should have bared weight? Nonetheless, he still should have taken their feelings into consideration. He was just as blind as they were to him. He of all people should know how important kindness could be. You don't exactly pass up something that valuable.

"I guess…I could've handled that better," he grumbled.

"Damn right you could've! We were worried sick about you!

An aqua stare pierced the platinum blonde, "Would you pipe down. You're too loud."

"Hey, I thought you were on my side?" He called out to the retreating form of the older Farron.

The pinkette shot a half-glance back at him, barely acknowledging his existence, "Tch, like I'd ever side with an idiot."

"Why you-" However a delicate touch ended his rant before it even began. The gentle aura of Serah's smile permeated into him. Any anger he had just seemed to melt off.

"Please don't get mad at Lightning." She allowed her hold to ease off the bulky teen. "That's just the way she treats everyone."

"W-wasn't even thinking of it," he said with a cheesy grin.

Gadot could only blink at his so-called leader's reaction. Snow was never soft in the way he spoke, not ever. For him to so much as tone down his mannerisms was a feet in itself, but stuttering was a whole new level. He hoped Lebreau didn't spike his lunch or else he'd have trouble on the way back. Corps pigs could smell intoxication from a mile away.

The younger Farron waltzed away from the pair with Naruto not to far behind. The blond looked back at his bandana wearing counter part with a critical eye. He didn't know why but for some reason the way his posture had stiffened up was setting off warning signs in his head. As if his gut knew that Snow would become the center of a lot of confliction later. It was odd how such a small change in posture could affect his instincts so radically.

He was spacing out but that didn't mean he was oblivious to the world around him. His body was like radar when it came to changes around him when his mind was away, allowing him to be ready at the drop of a hat. The instance with Jestine earlier at the mall had been a hiccup in his usually pin perfect system.

Normally this wouldn't bother him so much, he'd had plenty of glitches before (mainly during his early days fallowing the academy), but now it was getting troubling. The mall incident had been one of many that he'd racked up since his time here. His rational mind scourged it up as merely becoming too soft in a non-hostile environment but the shinobi side of the spectrum had a hunch that lack of activity was the least of the issue. Luckily for him his little sonar system decided to kick in this time, stopping his body before he collided with the no longer moving Serah.

The preteen spun around suddenly, shocking the whiskered teen's mind straight back into its body. She sparkled a smile at the blond, her eyes closing as it reached her cheeks. "Naruto?"

"Yeah?" He replied a little hesitantly. He knew that smile…and it definitely wasn't hers.

"I think you should go apologize to the rest of Snow's group. It wouldn't be good to leave so many people with weight on their conscience."

He smiled back at her, be it a little awkwardly. "Yeah…I guess you're right." He moved to meet up with the two speeder junkies. "Are you sure you can get where you're going on your own? You seem to still be a little shaken up from what happened last month."

She just continued to grin back, "I think I'll manage. I have Lightning to protect me after all."

Naruto exchanged a few words with the two before hoping on the back of the flying machine. He waved at his young host, who became smaller and smaller by the second. The thrusters warmed to a start before blasting off into the bright blue…a little too fast if his stomach had anything to say about it.

-Bodhum City Limits-

The sisters had been trudging on for quiet some time since they had last seen their overly eccentric housemate. Metal and concrete had long since given away to the browns and greens of nature unspoiled, particularly the one sitting just barely within the city boundaries.

The gloom of the canopy broke free, opening up to the light that emanated from the proverbial lantern in the sky. Lighting brought a hand to shade her eyes from the sudden brightness, finding it odd how well lit the forest was compared to the dreary atmosphere of the city that laid mere paces away. She stole a glance at her younger sister, who too was facing the same troubles she had adjusting to the abundance of illumination. A ghost of a smile crawled on to her features at the sight of her. She was glad to be able to have this moment alone with her. And while she was thankful for the assistance (not that she'd ever admit it), some things were best done with those closer to the situation. Naruto would be hard press to find any form of 'janitorial work' to be found here.

Lightning allowed her sister a few moments longer before escorting her further into the grassy field. She could feel strain of Serah's grip grow as the elevation of the ground began to ease upward. Serah was uneasy. Hell she was too.

They had every right to be.

The pair came to a halt at the top of the knoll, directly under the covering of the blooming tree that sat before them.

Several items lay cluttered around its base, sprinkled with pink petals in the same manner as the floor around them.

A neatly woven rectangular wicker basket sat filled with the dried husks of what used to be flowers. This particular basket had served her family well, carrying more items than its dainty appearance looked like it could handle. It had supplied a bounty of family picnics, with many being at this very same spot once upon a time. It was a shame they couldn't find a use for it at this stage in their lives.

Serah was quick to tend to the poor basket, replacing the wastes of life that lay within it for a fresh batch of flowers.

A flute lay not too far away, painted a navy blue and etched with quotes wherever there was space, ranging from simple sayings to the terminology of world-renowned philosophers. The instrument held as special place in Lightning's heart, having been the catalyst behind many precious memories. She could almost hear the tune that would weep from its depths, caressing the paths of air in a gentle tune that would always bring joy to her ears. She picked up the memento with a loving hand, uncharacteristic to her disposition, running soft fingers over the various scribbles on the metal.

The next object had to be the most out of place of the bunch.

A simple double-edged sword approximately four feet long at the blade and seven inches at the handle was propped firmly against the tree. The words _"Will Birthed in Fire"_ had been neatly carved into the sheath. A deadly weapon even if its design had fallen out of grace with the public.

Two silver bracelets hung from the weapon's hilt, with one bearing an emerald at its center and the other a sapphire. They were common wedding gifts in Cocoon and would often hold a gemstone representing the eye color of the wearers spouse.

Serah looked at the bands thoughtfully before pulling out two translucent boxes from her bag that pulsed with light, mana candles, ones that had enough juice to last a year. They were expensive sure…but for once she didn't mind splurging a little.

Their mother held a soft spot for the glow they emitted. She'd always prop them up when she played her music. Said it was "the perfect way to set the mood no matter which one it was."

They had to agree with her on that one.

The younger of the Farrons gently sank to her knees, praying silently to a metal plate screwed deeply into the wood. It was bronze in color and looked more like one more suited for a monument than a tree. However it was far from that assumption.

Lightning stood behind her downed sibling. She ruffled her sister's hair before bringing the flute to her lips and began to recite the beginning of "Blinded by Light" the way she had been taught to.

It had been a whole year since she had played but she was still as smooth as ever. The world melted before her as the air danced from her lips. Emotion flowed through every note her fingers cascaded over. Her lungs felt like bursting, whether it was due to lack of air or the shear turmoil swirling within her chest had yet to been seen.

She didn't cry. She didn't have to. The music did that for her. She didn't have to spill herself out. The song was enough to show what she hid behind. The last note trailed off the flute with the last of what she had bottled deep inside.

The wall that was Lightning had been render breathless. And not in the way you would think.

A lone applause rang; fallowing the moment her lips had left the instrument.

"A musical genius worthy of Mozart as well as the might of a Behemoth," A large voice boomed out. "Some times I don't know who you girls resemble more."

The shadow of a man blended into the gray overcast by the leaves above. His footsteps surprisingly quiet for a man his size.

He read the metal etching silently, even though he already knew what it said word for word by now. A dreary sigh escaped him. "It's hard to believe it's been three years."

Lightning looked up from her feet to refresh the words for herself.

"_Here lies Juliann and Augustus Farron, who left this world before their time was met. The lives they have touched will always remember the sacrifices they made for those less fortunate than themselves. They will be greatly missed and will never be forgotten."_

A single tear trailed down her cheek.

-With Naruto-

Naruto could be found ambling about in a fashion relatively similar to the way his host had been not too long ago (only with much more misdirection). He didn't exactly know where he was going but that didn't really matter as long as it was away from the pitter-patter of the city life.

The dysfunctional personas of the Farron sisters had left quiet a burden on his psyche that only proved to hamper his normally sunny disposition. Needless to say he'd rather not partake in any form of social activity today. Unfortunately for him whatever type of God that ruled this plane had different plans.

Naruto had gone back to Snow's residence to apologize to the entire gang for his 'careless behavior' without dropping even a hint that he had been in a bad mood. He was an old hand at playing with his emotions. The younger Uzumaki had actually grows so skilled at it that only those who truly knew him could figure it out (the likes of which were so few he could name them off without needing a spare hand for assistance).

After a relatively harsh tongue-lashing all had been forgiven. This shocked the blond at first but after some thought he realized their anxiety was more drawn from worry than anger. Once that had been settled he wanted nothing more than to leave but low and behold Lebreau wished for him to stay a little bit longer.

And like the softy he was he accepted, be it with a little hesitation.

No regrets had surfaced after discovering how pleasant their company was (minus Yuj festering in the corner).

He learned a lot about them and even had the pleasure of meeting two more of their little rag tag group.

They were an interesting bunch, putting the importance of freedom above all else. They reminded him a lot of himself when he was younger whenever they boasted of proving themselves to 'the man' they spoke of so much, a classic batch of freedom fighters if he ever saw one.

…Let's just hope they last longer than the one he'd met last.

The young sage inhaled deeply, finding joy when the scent of moisture hit his nostrils. His recent involvements with nature had caused him to appreciate any moments he could when the time presented itself, resulting in his frequent trips to the more underdeveloped sides of Bodhum.

A beam of light caused him to reach a stop in one of the many clearings dotting the forest. His first instinct was to plop down and allow the nature energies to swirl within him the way he had been taught back home. However the shinobi was quick to perish the thought, having had rather painful experiences before hand. It was almost like nature energy didn't exist here, which wasn't that farfetched considering how different this world was to home.

Naruto reached into his sage cloak, that had surprising been repaired since his battle with Pein. This had been startling at first but later chalked it up as another one of those seals that Ma and Pa had covered it in after his sage training. He was glad the ink used for fuuinjutsu disappeared after being applied otherwise he'd have a pretty weird looking coat.

A book was pulled from one of the many pockets lining the inside.

It had a very Spartan design, bearing little more than the title against a bronze background.

The blond cracked open the book with a soft smile on his face. Many would do the same thing and see little past the story, not Naruto though.

This was probably the fifth time he read it but he didn't mind as much as most people would think. Every page held an aching nostalgia, and every chapter a precious memory.

He could see why his parents would name their son after a character in this book with how good it is.

The Tales of an Utterly Gutsy Ninja was hands down Jiraiya's best work even if it wasn't well received by the public. It was saddening he was never able to finish the one he'd been working on last. The Tales of Jiraiya the Gallant would've made on hell of a best seller.

#CRACK#

-Grave Site-

Serah paused in her prayer to give a glance at what could only be described as brute of a man. He stood at least a head taller than both sisters and bared a stomach that was slightly pudgy but not to the extent that it detract from his hulking physique.

She gave him a small, pleasant gesture, "Nice of you to join us Sergeant Amodar."

The newly identified Amodar snorted as if she had said something offensive, " That's Lieutenant Amodar to you little missy."

She allowed a small giggle to escape her, "My mistake."

"You were promoted?" Lightning questioned.

"Yeah, not too long ago actually," He uttered with a stroke of his mustache. "The brass wanted to make a whole fuss about it, insisted on setting up some big ceremony for me and the rest of the people moving up." He paused, looking back at the old broad sword with a soul full eye, "It would've been a nice party, but I'm not really cut out to wear one of those monkey suits, especially with what day they'd decided to pick for it. I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere else right with how much your old man's done for me."

The trio sat silent, allowing the calls of the wild to rein their senses. They couldn't tell how long they'd sat there. None of them had a ways to tell time, and even if they did it was doubtful whether or not it would be used. The quiet was ever lasting; stagnant almost…someone had to break it at some point.

"What was he like?" Serah mumbled out.

"Hm?"

"Our father…on the force. We never got to see that side of him. What was he like?"

The largest of the three placed a hand on his chin; taking some time to chalk out the words that best described his thoughts. "…You're father was~…a scary man. Intimidation at it's very best, and nearly made me soak my pants on my first day."

The young pinkette smiled at thought, "Sounds about right."

"He was a really strict commander, always expected us to put forth everything we had and then some, even when we weren't on duty. He never gave up when the going got tough. And was always there to save our asses every time we got ourselves in trouble."

"The man oozed confidence, made us want to always push a little bit farther…Mentality like that would have really helped for that day." The Guardian Corp Lieutenant stared at his open palm with a downcast expression. "…A-and then m-maybe…just maybe" The sisters could do little but sit idly. It was an odd spectacle seeing someone so imposing speak in such a way. Amodar clenched his fingers into a ball so tight the skin of his became bright red. "He wouldn't have had to do what he did that day… That man was a true hero if I ever saw one."

Lightning continued to stare at the ground, her pink locks draped to cover the emotion on her face. "A hero?" She uttered in a voice barely above a whisper but loud enough to garner the attention of her two companions. "You dare…call that man…A…Hero." The pinkette voiced more audibly.

Serah nearly jumped to a standing position to face her sister. "Lightning, what are yo-?"

Her face shot up as fast as her name implied. "That Man is no Hero!"

"Lightning, think about what you're saying…Dad saved a lot of people that day."

"Well if he was able save a lot of people then why wasn't he able to save the only one that mattered, Huh?" The eldest of the two sisters grit her teeth as the heat continued to build within her. "Oh that's right he was too busy being a Hero~ to keep the promise he made to Mom. That man doesn't deserve to be called that." Lightning Farron huffed in breaths of air sporadically; she could hardly stand to refer herself with any form of allegiance to that man. " He broke his promise, he broke this family, and worst of all he broke Mom."

"Lightning…"

" That man is no savior. All He is and all he ever will be is a Big. Fat. LIAR!" She cried out, marching away from the gravesite with flecks of moisture dripping down.

Tears spilled down Serah's cheeks like waterfalls. How could her sister possibly think that way? Dad was a soldier not a doctor. There was nothing he could've done for Mom and she knew it. But if so then why was she acting like this? Where had all this anger come from?

In a last ditch effort Serah latched on to Lightning with a pleading cry. "Please Claire get a hold of yourself this isn't you!"

Time seemed to freeze between the two as even the chirps and whistles of the forest came to a halt. Serah looked on at the back of her sister hopefully. Maybe she'd finally listen to reason…

#SMACK#

Serah's skin tingled as her cheek began to swell. Her hand caressed the redness hesitantly. _"Sh-she hit me."_

"I thought I told you never to call me that ever again." Lightning hissed out in a harsh monotone. The placidness on her features was almost unsettling when compared to the outburst she had not too long ago.

Amodar frowned at the pinkette's behavior. Physical contact was completely unnecessary. He didn't care whether or not she was the daughter of his best friend he was pissed. He was about to show the ungrateful brat a piece of his mind when a blaring 'beep' resonated from his earpiece.

He let out a groan, couldn't corps business just lay off him for once.

He activated his communicator with a standard 'click' of a button. "This is Lieutenant Amodar what is it?" He said in a voice none too enthusiastic. However the longer communications officer spoke the more his eyes began to grow in size." WHAT? You're kidding right? How could such a thing even happen with a unit that secure?" Command spoke once more. It wasn't reassuring in the least. " Please tell me that they're contained?"

"Not exactly! What do you mean not exactly?"

A barrage of hisses halted the soldier in his rant. His body temperature spiked and any liquid in his mouth seemed to evaporate in an instant.

"Um Command…I'm gonna need some back up."

-With Naruto-

The blond, through endless repetition, reached for his shinobi pouch only to be met with open air. He cursed under his breath. His pouch, as well as his favorite orange jumpsuit, was one of the few things the group hadn't been able to return to him. When asked they simply shrugged, stating it hadn't been on his person when they'd found him. Damn ocean taking his stuff. He liked that pouch. It was a gift from Oji-san.

He instead decided to simply keep his nerves ready. Placing the book back in his pocket, he awaited whatever type of beast lay beyond the forestry.

His fingers twitched. The under brush shuffled mere feet away from him. A cold sweat meandered down his cloth-covered temple. The rustling became louder. He took in a deep breath.

"Baaahhh."

"_Is that a sheep?"_ A sweat drop formed at the back the Uzumaki's head. For what lay before him was indeed a very, very small sheep.

The animal could have been no taller than a whole foot in length and was covered in so much wool that it resembled an oversized cotton ball. It had a black face as well as tiny, black stubs for feet. An absolutely minuscule set of horns completed the little puffball of an animal.

A set of laughter escaped his mouth. He strolled over to the creature, giving it a brief petting. "You almost had me going there little buddy." The whiskered teen chuckled out, a smile lingering on his cheeks.

"Baahh." Was all it said as it bounded off to a near by watering hole with speed uncharacteristic of its form.

Suddenly with out warning a massive clawed paw struck the blond, sending him careening into a near by tree. A fangled-toothed creature larger than any big cat was upon him in a blink of an eye. Naruto held the beast at bay as it snapped at his throat at it struggled to gain a foothold over its surprisingly well-muscled prey. With a mighty heave the blond kicked the monster off of him.

The attack had puzzled him. How had it been successful? He had sensed its presence long before it had chosen to make its move and had planned accordingly. His Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique) should've dropped with out a hitch had only proven to be a dud. He hadn't failed this bad since his time in the academy. And even then he was at least able to get something out of it; he'd hardly felt any chakra that time.

While the blond went over what had happened the beast had recovered, stalking about the outer edges of the clearing to judge the proper moment to attack. As the seconds passed more and more of the creatures began slinking into the clearing, their white coloration doing nothing to remove from their stealth. And before he knew it an entire pack had managed to make its way into the light.

"Ha you think numbers scare me? You're looking at Konoha's very own one man army dattebayo!" Naruto hollered at the monsters with an accusing finger as if they were capable of understanding human speech. His hands fell into motion, creating the only seal required for his signature jutsu and with a mighty cry of Kage Bushin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)…

…

…Nothing happened.

Naruto blinked in confusion. That's never happened before. He tried again but received similar results. Frustration wormed its way into the blond as he spammed the hand seals for his technique and every time the beloved doppelgangers were absent.

A sheepish grin rose to the Uzumaki's whiskered feature…which some how signaled the prime instant to attack for the pack of monsters.

-Grave Site-

Gunshots rang throughout the clearing with a rhythmic 'thump' as bullets met flesh.

There were so many of them, hovering and sliding across the open field like some type of horror movie.

Fire erupted from Amodar's trusty sidearm, effectively downing one of the floating, insect like monstrosities. But as one fell another just seemed to take its place.

A frown marred his round mug. This weapon wasn't the most appropriate for a horde as big as this one but it was the only thing he really had on him. He would've killed to have his primary weapon right now but he knew from experience how intimidating a two hundred thirty pound man lugging around a one hundred pound Gatling gun can be.

It would be near hysteria in the streets.

But now was not the time to curse his specializations in heavy weaponry.

The Lieutenant turned his head away from his line of fire for the briefest of moments.

"You guys should probably get out of here." He squeezed a couples shots off at one of the charging monster, stone walling it in its advance. "This place isn't suitable for little girls."

Lightning shot a glare at him, "I'm not a little girl," her hand somehow finding its way to the handle of the only other weapon in the area, "I'm fifteen."

"I rest my case. Get out of here." He deadpanned; his piston rendered one of giant slugs to bits.

"No. I'm staying right here." She insisted, tightening her hold on the blade as if emphasizing her resolve.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I just let those…things walk all over my mother's grave."

Amodar reloaded his pistol with a disgruntled look on his face. Her words were bold ones yet her grip on the blade had only stiffened. He fired five shots. Five monsters fallowed, lying motionless on the grassy floor.

"Look we can argue about this all day but that's not gonna stop those monsters from trying to kill us." He paused to reload, returning fire as soon as the magazine hit the cartridge. " I can't be excepted to look after you two along with myself in these conditions."

The elder Farron clutched the electrical pendant dangling from her neck. Her expression had an almost longing look to it. She turned to face her sister who, despite what she had done only minutes prior, still peered up with those bright aquatic orbs of hers. Those eyes…so similar to hers yet at the same time…so different. She believed in her.

That would've been enough but she had a promise to uphold as well.

"Then don't protect us. I'll fight." Lightning called out, the sound of unsheathing metal only solidifying her claims.

She hated the man, absolutely loathed him. And had often considered anything of his taboo to her, tools for liars. But if she had to use something of his to protect those she cared about…then, righteousness be damned, she'd become a liar in a heartbeat.

The hulking man raised an eyebrow at her declaration as a group of slug like things was left wreathing at the slope. He turned to face her for the first time since the fight began.

The broadsword, sliver with blackened edging looked awkward in her grasp. He doubted she actually knew how to use that thing but the confidence in her stance made him want to be believe she could handle it.

"_Will Birthed in Fire"._ It was kind of funny actually, how much she cursed her father yet seemed to imitate him at every turn.

"_Hm I wonder how she'd react if I told her that." _He wanted to believe her but protocol held him in a bind. Civvies had to be evacuated.

"I'm pretty sure you can fight but this isn't some street brawl." A bullet zeroed in on one of the floating atrocities, puncturing its abdomen like a knife through butter. It dropped to the ground in an instant, giving its last struggle before the light in its body dimmed.

"Save us the trouble and let the professionals handle this."

Just as the words left his mouth a giant red slug came shrieking at him like a creature from another planet. His eyes widened, how did it get so close to him without him noticing?

His mind replayed the battle in high speed. A cluster of metal cut through a group of them. He missed one. And it was about to enact vengeance for its fallen brethren.

A flash of metal sheered through the air mere inches from his face, slicing the creature in two before it had a chance to suffocate him. The severed halves flew past him harmlessly, leaving trails of green in their wake.

" 'Professionals' huh?" Lightning mocked all too coolly, adding to her image by cleaning her blade with a shift flick of the wrist.

-With Naruto-

The leaf shinobi weaved through the swipes in a manner that only others of his profession would be able to boast about. He ducked just in time as one of the creatures went sailing overhead. The one in front took this brief moment of vulnerability to move in with the intent to add another set of marks to the blond's face.

Unluckily for him, however, Naruto wasn't actually open at all.

The whiskered teen in question twisted underneath the strike, catching the monster off balance before whipping around to deliver a bone shattering punch to the beast's skull.

A shower of sharpened incisors spilled from the predator's mouth as it flew through the air. Kakashi-sensei always did say he hit like a bull when he was younger and he didn't even know how to use chakra reinforcement back then. All that training alone, while depressing, had really paid off in the strength department.

The one he had dodged earlier whipped around to rush the back of the unsuspecting blond.

It never expected its prey to vault backward over the charge. The Uzumaki allowed the creature to pass underneath him. As he reached the apex of his back flip he uncurled his body, plowing both feet into the spine of the monster, effectively crushing its vertebra.

The remaining creatures howled in anger for the loss of their two pack mates before sprinting at him in unison.

Naruto latched on to the tail of beast he'd just felled and with a might heave launched it at the charging trio. The corpse slammed into the being off to the left of the group, causing it to collide into a massive boulder at the clearings edge. Its muscles gave one last spasm before laying still.

The pair of monsters could only gawk at the blatant display of strength. In their shock they didn't notice the human they'd been fighting running at them. The young shinobi delivered a palm thrust in the side of one of the creatures earning a cry of pain from the beast. He fallowed up with a roundhouse kick that sent the monster careening into its ally.

The white pelted duo, infuriated by the position they'd ended up in began squabbling amongst themselves, completely forgoing their designated target in exchange for nipping at one another's ankles. They momentary bouts of anger were silenced when a faint hissing noise rose to their eardrums.

#BOOM#

The Uzumaki had to give him a pat on the back for that last one. Nothing ended a fight like an explosive tag.

"Is that all you got! I've faced farm animals more terrifying than this! This is nothing for someone like Uzumaki Naruto!"

As if responding to his challenge the sound of thundering paws filled his eardrums. It looked like stealth didn't matter to them anymore.

A pack twice as big as the one he'd just fought burst through the shade. It wasn't something new but it was definitely more.

"Here kitty-kitty." The sage uttered, making the universal gesture to 'come'.

However unlike before they didn't attack immediately…or at all for that matter. A perplexed look made its way to his face; it was as if they weren't even paying attention to him.

No heed was paid to the bodies scattered before them. Each one was to busy scanning the greenery with a franticly look their eye.

It almost looked like something had spooked them.

One of the larger feline-esc creatures sniffed the air. It took a deep whiff before bolting away as fast its legs could take it. The rest of the pack fallowed but before all of them could vanish into the forest an absolute behemoth of a creature smashed into the clearing, cutting off the slowest members from the rest of the pack.

Instincts took over as the choice of fight or flight came into debate. One of the monsters sought to burst around the giant but was swiftly ended by muscle rippling front legs.

In the frenzy another took its chances but was met with a similar fate just as quickly.

In less than ten seconds the trio had been reduced to a single monster. Alone it had no chance against the huge beast but running had only proven to be fatal. So it did the only thing it could think of at such short notice and pounced at its foe. With speed deceptive of its size the goliath of creature snatched its prey out of thin air, sinking its fangs into flesh before shaking it maw in the same manner that a dog would an old teddy bear.

However this was no Fido. The beast was easily five times larger any of the ones he'd fought previously and had a body more fitting for a body builder than an animal. Wicked spiked shackles complimented an equally menacing crest atop its head that reach its lower back. If that wasn't enough then maybe razor sharp fangs and claws would be.

He wanted a challenge sure but this was not what he was looking for. He couldn't fight something like this, especially with how crippled he was in the power department.

Luckily for him the beast seemed too preoccupied with its meal to pay him any mind. The blond slinked away as stealthily as he could. It was difficult work when the sound of snapping jaws and crunching bones was so loud.

He turned away from the beast and on his first step…'snap'…landed on a twig. His expression cringed at the sound.

"_Please don't hear that. Please don't hear that. Please don't hear that..." _The sage turned his head. The sight of a feasting monster encompassed his eyesight.

Naruto wiped the beads of sweat pouring down his brow with a flick of the wrist. "Whew!"

Just then the behemoth shot up like a rocket.

"Aw shit…" Was all the young Uzumaki could say before the monster charged at him with a mighty roar.

There weren't many moments that reduced Naruto's mind into a broken record player but this was definitely one of them.

An ear-bursting howl slammed into him, knocking his frozen limbs into movement. The beast was mere feet away. Five of some of the biggest claw he'd ever seen outside of a bijuu swiped at him. If it weren't for his twitchy reflexes he would've surely been ripped to shreds. ._" You just had to challenge the world Uzumaki, you just had to challenge the world." _His conscience always had to be a smart ass in these kinds of situations.

In his defense he hadn't even know that such creatures existed in Cocoon. Bodhum was a relatively quiet place to live on by most accounts.

But whining would do little to assist him in the 'long run'. He'd be laughing about pun related to his situation if it weren't for the jaws nipping at the air space around his ass.

Trees came within arms reach. Years of training kicked in. Energy stored with his legs released into his step, giving him the power necessary to leap well over fifteen feet into the air and into the branches above.

It was basic stuff for a shinobi. A child could do it just as well.

However those children had chakra he, currently, did not. Tree hoping was a real strain on the body for anyone who wasn't a ninja. It was one of the trademarks for a reason.

Even with training a civilian would never be able to move with the same level of skill a shinobi was capable of. He was lucky his body was as dense as it was otherwise all that movement would have been little more than wasted energy.

As the blond ricocheted through the canopy the sound of crashing lumber became more and more evident. You didn't have to be present for the entire thing to gain some hints about the situation.

He pushed himself onward but even he knew that his legendary stamina couldn't go on forever.

The sheer thought of battle caused a finger to ghost into his pocket. His hands and feet alone wouldn't cut it this time and the supply of seals in his cloak was nowhere near limit less.

The Uzumaki frowned at his rather sparse inventory. He needed something sharp but found none of his usual weaponry to come to his aid. The spiky haired teen almost felt naked once the revelation hit him, what type of sensible shinobi didn't have kunai.

His hand traveled into another pocket to feel the telltale cool of metal rebound off his senses. A slight smile made its way to his lips.

They had been a parting gift from a great man he once knew. He always boasted how perfect they were for a guy like him, said they fit his style well. He highly doubted that, he never like using blades out side of the standard stuff. But beggars can't be choosers.

They were close to all he had under such short notice.

-Grave Site-

Amodar was impressed. The teen was good, better than he could have ever imagined. Her swordplay was a little sloppy, amateur at best. But how she handled her blade was rendered insignificant with how fast her swings were. The pinkette had to have a very dense body to move the way she did. Augustus's broadsword wasn't something anyone could call light. For it to be swung as effortlessly as he'd seen had to take some serious power.

And she was only fifteen…She'd be an absolute menace with the right training.

As of right now Lightning was completely surround by a plethora of floating and grounded creatures a like. They were hesitant. All of them had witness what this girl was capable of and none wished to test out if what they'd seen had actually been real.

Unfortunately for them she wasn't very keen on waiting.

She rushed the nearest monster with an overhead strike. The beast barely had any time to screech before it was split in half. The Farron was left no time no admire her kill and simply moved on to the next target.

This particular one was ready for her and charged the teen. Moving with speed unparalleled to any her age, dodging the rush with a quick twirl of the foot that flowed into her strike at the unsuspecting creature. The teen didn't allow any of the momentum she'd built up go to waste, transitioning into series of spins that traveled around the ranks of enemies, dispatching a great deal of them along the way.

She came out of her impromptu movement dizzy but undeterred, managing to stab a slug at her feet as the world shifted around her.

A cluster of booms rang around her, snapping her out of her daze. Lightning checked what most military personnel would her 'six' only to find six dead monsters that had attempted to sneak up on her. She turned toward the knoll to see the Lieutenant reloading his side arm. A nod of appreciation fallowed the sight.

Amodar returned the gesture, looking with a dull eye on as she hurled herself back into the action.

He cocked his weapon, laying into any monsters that were too far out to be an immediate target for the teen.

Serah had been watching the whole time helpless as she allowed others to protect her once more. She was surprisingly accepting of the situation; there was no way she'd be able to do anything with how she was right now. In fact she'd probably just make it worse. She wasn't a fighter. She'd more than likely regret it later but her rational mind knew when to stay out.

They were making a deadly combination, a prime example of an offensive defense if she did say so herself. With Lightning dealing damage up front with that sword and Amodar's marksmanship holding off the rest no monsters had managed to even get near the grave since that previous episode with the slug.

But she knew how the system worked. Two people had absolutely no chance against such a grand enemy. The bodies dropping to ground were only helping the path to defeat by now. Sweat was coming in buckets down both combatants' brows by now. Her sister, despite looking like one, wasn't a soldier in the least. Any wells of stamina built into the military weren't within her. And Amodar, while a Guardian Corp officer, wasn't suited for active duty. She could only spy two full clips left on that wicked utility belt of his.

Prayer was the best that could be done.

-Bodhum Forests-

The beast stalked, sniffing the air. It ran down its prey to a patch of forest thick with the scent of blossoming flower, effectively masking the trail for the time being. Just then the creature inhaled deeply, perking up when a familiar smell made its way back to its nostrils.

It lugged its massive form through the thicket of flowering, tracking the scent into a much more sparse portion of the area that had several boulders in and among the trees.

From his roost up above Naruto could only smile at the success of his plan. The stupid animal is going to be occupied with that area for quiet awhile. It was only a matter of time before it'd stumble one the many strips of clothing he'd filled the area with.

Flash tags that had been primed around them. Then while it was trying to get a hold of itself he'd spring the attack.

The Uzumaki struggled with the metal interlacing his fingers at first but after a while they'd grown to actually be pretty comfortable.

Fitted on to the blonds hands could only be describes as the most fearsome set of brass knuckles you'd ever see. The handles bladed, provided a literal edge to ones punches. The blade rippled down the fingers to form over a saber like tooth that looked sharp enough to puncture the thickest of flank jackets. It was a boon to all forms of close quarters combats any man or woman could think of. He just wished he could use them to their full potential.

The skills he'd built with Hien weren't nearly as good as Asuma-sensei's.

Then again he couldn't use his chakra, and by default elemental chakra, making the last thought null and void. And even if he did it wouldn't have helped him much. Trench knives weren't exactly his specialty.

Sizzling reached his eardrums. The beast sniffed, confused by the sudden smell of singed paper. The blond fidgeted under the tension, counting down the seconds as the tag burned down. The crashing of underbrush alerted the shinobi's senses moments before the flash bang was ready to burst. He turned to the mysterious sound only to regret it as soon as his cerulean orbs met the sight.

This was not part of the plan…

Stepping into the light was another hulking green monster. More then likely attracted by the sound of the first ones hunt.

This was definitely a set back. He was confident he could handle one but two was another was a completely different story. And running wasn't an option any more now that his trap was in full motion.

A cluster of trees surrounding the first beast glowed at their base. The unexpected luminance garnered the behemoth's attention just long enough for a tear wrenching blast of light to burst in its hideous mug.

Concussive force behind the explosive was not only visual but audible as well; creating a unique brand of sensory numbing pain that reduced the beast into a wreathing mass of flesh.

The second creature noticed the brief flash of light and moved in to investigate, only to become subjugated in a similar way to the first. Both creatures howled in pain bucking like wild broncos in a vain attempt to wash out the stinging residing in two of the five senses.

Naruto took this moment of controlled chaos to leap at one of the rampaging creatures. He met his mark, making contact with a faint grunt, using the weapon forged by evolution as a crutch to keep his hold.

The particular one he was on didn't even seem to notice his presence, obviously too stricken with its warped organs to even think of using the ones that had been untouched by the blast.

He looked into the pupils of monster, shrunken into virtual dots in a futile attempt to block out the lights swimming in its vision. The sage reared back before slamming the saber portion of his trench knife into the eye of the beast.

The effects were immediate. The beast roared in agony as any numbness residing in the system washed away.

And as with many other cases in life extreme anger fallowed extreme pain, rendering the behemoth into a frothing berserker the moment it figured out what was going on.

A massive paw latched on to the sage's leg, forcing him to retch his blade out lest his appendage be torn out of its socket.

The might the beast launched him with was impressive, sending the blond like rag doll clean through the nearest tree and into a boulder. A hiss escaped through clenched teeth as he staggered to a stand, using the rock that had ironically been a major factor in his overall discomfort.

He turned back to his foe, which was launching one of the most menacing stares he'd ever seen in all his fifteen years. The blood leaking from the ruined socket was only adding to the effect at this point. He knew that look. It was done playing games. It wasn't doing this for food anymore…it just wanted to murder him in the most gruesome ways imaginable.

It held its sharpened crest low to the ground, letting out another roar before coming at him with the full intent of goring him like a slab of meat being prepped for the fire.

The speed of the charge was dramatically fast for how short of a distance the beast had to build momentum, allowing the teen one of the smallest time frames to barrel roll out of the way.

Naruto cringed as his body made contact with the forest floor; some of his ribs were definitely broken.

Horn met earth for only a second before the beast heaved what must've been a two-ton hunk of granite clean through the air. The Uzumaki paid no heed to the deliberate display of strength, closing the space in between him and his target in no time flat, sending a salvo of edged fist that left an web of dripping tears across the creature's flanks.

Battle hardened gut instincts screamed at him, forcing his body to jump before his brain could come up with a reason to ask why. A rush of wind swept beneath his airborne form as he evaded a strike by mere inches.

The bite of his trench knife fallowed the acrobatics, landing a firm blow to his adversaries shoulder. He redoubled his effort, jamming his other blade adjacent to the first wound, ushering a cry of pain from the injured animal.

He never saw the claw to coming from the right. The attack, while not as painful as his first, was surely a damage dealer, hitting with enough force to knock his only weapons out of his hands.

Naruto shook his head to clear the stars in his eyes only for them to widen when a shadow loomed in the corners of his vision. He rolled to a stand, causing a paw, that would've surely crushed him, to miss completely.

However he couldn't count his blessings just yet, because right now looked like a proper moment to retreat. To hell with what he said earlier.

With speed he didn't even know he was capable of the Uzumaki ran, and while his posture looked the same, it was taking everything he had to stop himself from screaming out.

In the heat of the moment he wasn't able to gauge the severity of everything as properly as he would've liked. If things were toned done then maybe he would've noticed the blood-curdling pain in his right arm. It, like his ribs, was surely broken. He could only imagine how much it would hurt when the adrenaline wore off.

Damn it, why wasn't Kyuubi patching him up as fast as it normally did?

He would've invested more musings into the problem but the booming roars of two very mad creatures kinda killed any more room for the subject.

Breathing alone was becoming painful at this point but he didn't dare stop to regain his footing or else he'd have a lot more than broken bones to worry about.

The problem was they were gaining on him. He was slowing down. And if that wasn't bad enough…

… "_A dead end…" _

A massive wall of multicolored rock too sheer to climb and far too wide to go around stood, mocking him and current disability. He would've been able to scale it if he had chakra, hell he wouldn't even be running right now if could use jutsu.

Those things wouldn't be able to hold a candle to his Rasengan.

Thunderous vibrations reached the soles of his sneakers and the fact of the matter couldn't be any clearer. Naruto turned to meet his pursuant with dull eyes.

Cocoon wasn't his home…his kind didn't exist here. He couldn't use Sage Mode or any thing else that had been taught to him. And all he had on him that had survived to rightfully remind him of Konoha was a cloak and a headband.

The pair of green monstrosities stalked forward as if they thrived off of the sense of dread permeating from their victims last moments. Damn drama queens.

He'd seen many things here, earned a lot about stuff he'd never thought possible. He experienced true peace and met some fine people. He may not be from here but one thing was certain…

Formalities were over, the behemoths charged at their cornered prey maws prepped to eviscerate flesh.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto!" The teen cried theatrically, nearly stopping the charge with his outburst. His only working hand flashed into his pocket, whipping out a tag that was then slapped down before his feet.

A wall of lightning spilled forth form the tag not to long after; locking up muscles the instant it made contact. "And I refuse to die HERE!" With that being said he leapt past the monsters, moving to take cover behind a cluster of logs that the beast had made in their rampage to reach him.

All they could do was watch helplessly as their bodies refused to respond to their commands. The symbols on the slip of paper morphed into a completely different inscription, shining innocently before…

#BOOM#

The force behind the explosion was stunning, bearing enough concussive force to send one of the creatures flying over the sage's cover (nearly gave him a heart attack).

The Uzumaki peaked over the logs to assess the damage but the haze was still thick from the explosive, providing only ash and fog. That tag was an S-grade. Anything short of Gamabunta was guaranteed to be no more that bits. Just then an orb came flying out of the smog, bursting into a literal explosion of water.

The attack drenched the whiskered teen with the force of a water bullet, knocking him clean off his feet.

RAAAAWWWW!

The teenager made a note to slap Tenten the next saw her because if he lived through this he was definitely suing her ass for false advertisement.

-Grave Site-

Things had gone from bad to worse on the other side of the fence. Amodar had run out of ammo long ago, resorting to his bear-like bulk to compensate. He was doing as well as his training allowed him to be, making short work of any of the monster that ventured too close. Unfortunately his overwhelming power couldn't be called a proper substitute for a gun, and it was beginning to show.

Lightning, on the other hand, was a complete mess. Her skin was surprisingly unmarred but the sweat dripping down told another story. Gravity felt as if it'd went on an eating binge with how heavy her movements were now and the moisture in the air had long since lost its warmth. Breathing had become just as laborious as swinging the sword in her grip. And this feverously itchy sensation had refused to leave ever since she'd inhaled a cloud of smoke that one of the brighter floating monsters had produced.

She was more drained than she'd ever been in her whole life but she couldn't stop now. Not with Serah life and her mother's honor at stake.

A high-pitched cry rang.

"Serah?"

The older Farron turned to greet a sight she had dreaded ever since this whole mess had started. Her sister was completely surrounded by a group of the slugs that bore flower-like appendages on their heads. How did they get past? She had and Amodar had been keeping an eye out this whole time. How could they get past now?

The groups' organs pulsed with pink light that connected to her sibling.

The color in Serah's skin appeared to vanish as the light grew in intensity. Time seemed to slow down for the pinkette as the last of the light faded into the faux petals. Those eyes so filled with hope rolled back into her skull. And her body slumped to the cold earth, scattering the keeps sakes of their past in graceless a manner that didn't suit her disposition at all. But she wasn't concerned about the grave, memories could be rearranged back how they once were…

…Her sister on the other hand…her dear Serah…

"No…" She uttered zombie-like as she lingered on her sister's still form. Not like this. She'd been so cruel to her earlier. She was supposed to go with a smile, peacefully, a soft song in the night…subtly and gentle. Not frozen in horror amongst all these things. She had done so much. Yet she had failed all the same.

"NO!" Lightning moved to run to her sister but monsters cut her off at every pass. Anger consumed her, refueling the tanks that had long since been running on empty. "Out of my way!" Her sword blurred through the crowds with ease. Nothing was stopping her.

The sound of roaring engines sputtered from above but her mind was too one dimensional to care.

A group of six men dressed yellow and white armor rappelled down from their transport above, letting loose on the hordes of monsters with heavy machine gun fire.

"Lieutenant!" A man in red called, tossing Amodar a spare rifle. A smile made its way to his plump face, "You guys are late." He boomed out over the roar of his weapon. "Sorry Sir, we were having trouble rallying all the civilians away from the city limits. Had to seal off the whole outer rim." He hastily replied, taking out a group across his superior's rear.

"You missed some, sergeant." The taller of the two stated off handedly. This incident had not amused him in the least.

"My apologizes Sir. Three more squads are combing the forest as we speak. They'll rescue anyone we've missed in their sweep." The sergeant replied stiffly, he's heard some terrifying thing about Amodar's bad side and he really wasn't too keen on finding out for himself.

"You better hope so…" He answered darkly.

-Bodhum Forest-

Naruto remembered Iruka-sensei giving one of those boring lectures on the 'unpredictability of combat' but this was ridiculous. The blasted thing completely flipped the script on him, having transformed from a quadruped to a biped. It even had a sword now…a Sword! Where the hell did it even get that? And apparently it could also caste spells too if what hit him earlier was any indicator.

The one-eyed asshole looked good as new if everything else wasn't fair enough. The Uzumaki peeked from his hiding spot to catch a glance at the behemoth's unwounded frame. Any damage done to it had simply been scarred over like it'd been there for years.

"_This is definitely karma for all those people I must've pissed off with my jinchuuriki healing." _

A roar erupted from its mouth, the ground rumbled and he was forced to leave his tree. Energy ripped into his previous cover, snapping it with as much difficult as he would have with a toothpick.

"Yup, that's magic all right." He deadpanned. He may've never delved into any books on magic but he new some supernatural stuff when he saw it. Interestingly enough he wasn't as fascinated as he thought he'd be. Must be desensitized by the by all the techniques he'd seen back home.

Another howl racked the forest as the bipedal monster rampaged toward the whiskered teen, splitting through any obstacles that blocking the line of sight to its target. Naruto's body tensed, as it got closer.

Things weren't looking so well. His stamina was virtually as dry as the supplies in his coat. He wouldn't be able to go very far if this turned into another chase.

"Move in. Go! Go! Go!"

Who's that?

Men in those funny get ups came sprinting from behind, engaging the raging creature with weapons alien to him. One of them trailed behind to give him what he assumed to be look of authority. "Stay put! We'll handle this one." An eyebrow rose at his tone but he complied without question. He was too tired to be a smart ass.

"Stay clear of that sword! Mickey how's that delivery coming?"

"Gimme a minute!"

Five of the six members danced around the colossus, making sure to hang just barely out of the creature's range. It growled in frustration, its hand glowing a faint blue.

"Head up it's charging a Watera." The attack surged forward in an a shower of liquid, knocking around a good portion of the soldiers down as well as nearly ruining Mickey's work.

A man in red shook traces of liquid out of his helmet, "How's that delivery M?" He said a little too eagerly, shooting glances at the beast reeking havoc amongst his men.

"Just about- Got it!" The soldier informed, as a metallic ring with light at its center rose into the air. "Make some room guys! Heavy on the field." Just as the words left his mouth the halo shined in a burst of light. A white, robotic looking beast burst from the gate, launching itself at its organic look alike.

The goliaths grappled with one another like giant wrestlers vying for control. The white monster, still being fresh was beginning to gain an upper hand. But the one-eyed monster was not going without a fight. Snapping its jaws at its foes neck only to be thwarted each time.

The solider controlled monster grabbed a hold of the berserker's forearm before launching it into the shade, crushing any foliage unfortunate enough to be in its way. The squad was upon the downed monster in an instant, lobbing purple orbs that emitted a gas that lulled the behemoth to sleep.

Three red soldiers stalked up to the blond. That was weird he only remembered seeing one. Each moved in perfect unison, almost as if they were the same person. "Not many survive their first encounter with a behemoth. How you holding up?" Strange they all spoke at the same time too. They had really deep voices. Did he know Kage Bushin? Oh he made more of them! He must have really big chakra reserve. Not as he as me but still pretty big. They twelve of them were waving…I'll wave too! "Are you okay?" Whoa his voice was high now. Did they go through backward puberty?

"Oh ja oh ja oh ja," Naruto sputtered, nodding his head frantically. "I'mma fine." He mumbled out with a silly grin to compliment the 'nice guy' pose he was in. In wasn't too long until he collapsed backward, his arm still poised as he snored.

"…"

"…"

"I think he inhaled some of the gas Sir."

"…"

Author's Notes: Damn this chapter was really hard to write. It actually hit a soft spot in my life, considering I had spent my last moments with my Grandfather not too long ago. For anyone who is wondering about the significance of the song "Blinded By Light" it is the battle theme of Final Fantasy XIII with the acoustic version being Lightning's theme song. I, of course, was referring to the latter. Note that this is hands down my longest chapter please excuse and problems regarding the grammar.


End file.
